title: Prevalence of Asthma in School Children on the Arizona-Sonora Border.
abstract: Mexican-born children living in the United States have a lower prevalence of asthma than other US children. Although children of Mexican descent near the Arizona (AZ)-Sonora border are genetically similar, differences in environmental exposures might result in differences in asthma prevalence across this region.
  
  
  
  The objective of this study was to determine if the prevalence of asthma and wheeze in these children varies across the AZ-Sonora border.
  
  
  
  The International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Children written and video questionnaires were administered to 1753 adolescents from 5 middle schools: Tucson (school A), Nogales, AZ (schools B, C), and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico (schools D, E). The prevalence of asthma and symptoms was compared, with analyses in the AZ schools limited to self-identified Mexican American students.
  
  
  
  Compared with the Sonoran reference school E, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for asthma was significantly higher in US schools A (OR 4.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.72-8.80), B (OR 3.47, 95% CI 1.88-6.42), and C (OR 4.12, 95% CI 1.78-9.60). The adjusted OR for wheeze in the past year was significantly higher in schools A (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.20-4.01) and B (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.42-5.01) on the written questionnaire and significantly higher in A (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.22-3.75), B (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.07-3.53), and Sonoran school D (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.28-4.30) on the video questionnaire compared with school E.
  
  
  
  Asthma and wheeze prevalence differed significantly between schools and was higher in the United States. Environmental factors that may account for these differences could provide insight into mechanisms of protection from asthma.
authors.affiliation: Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. Electronic address: tcarr@deptofmed.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Tara F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.affiliation: Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz; Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
authors.forename: Paloma I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Beamer
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rothers
authors.affiliation: Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
authors.forename: Debra A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.affiliation: Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz; Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
authors.forename: Lynn B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Gerald
authors.affiliation: Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
authors.forename: Cecilia B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Rosales
authors.affiliation: Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
authors.forename: Yoshira Ornelas
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Van Horne
authors.affiliation: Bio5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
authors.forename: Oksana N
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Pivniouk
authors.affiliation: Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz; Bio5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
authors.forename: Donata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vercelli
authors.affiliation: Bio5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Halonen
authors.affiliation: Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gameros
authors.affiliation: Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
authors.forename: Fernando D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
authors.forename: Anne L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001130:Arizona / Q000453:epidemiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D011153:Population; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Asthma; Bacterial Load; Environment; Mexican Americans; Socioeconomic Factors; Wheezing