title: Social disadvantage and asthma control in children.
abstract: This review discusses various aspects of social disadvantage and their association with poor asthma control, including socioeconomic status, exposure to psychosocial stress and violence, minority affiliation, environmental concerns such as allergens and pollution, and poverty in rural settings. Each of these elements has been linked with worsened asthma outcomes in children. Known and hypothesized mechanisms behind these associations are described in an effort to further understand the complex entity of poorly controlled asthma among socially deprived children. Intervention studies to improve asthma outcomes in these vulnerable populations are also described.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA. Electronic address: lianne.kopel@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Lianne S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Kopel
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy and Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; Division of Respiratory Epidemiology, Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Electronic address: wanda.phipatanakul@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Phipatanakul
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA. Electronic address: jonathan.gaffin@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gaffin
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Asthma; Ethnic Groups; Paediatrics; Psychological; Social Class; Socioeconomic Factors; Stress