title: Long-term control medication use and asthma control status among children and adults with asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Uncontrolled asthma decreases quality of life and increases health care use. Most people with asthma need daily use of long-term control (LTC) medications for asthma symptoms and to prevent asthma attacks. Ongoing assessment of a person's level of asthma control and medication use is important in determining the effectiveness of current treatment to decrease the frequency and intensity of symptoms and functional limitations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the use of LTC medication among children and adults with current asthma and identify contributing factors for LTC medication use.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the 2006-2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) child and adult Asthma Call-back Survey (ACBS) data to assess the level of asthma control and LTC medication use. Asthma control was classified as well controlled and uncontrolled using guideline-based measures. We used multivariable logistic regression models to identify contributing factors for LTC medication use and having uncontrolled asthma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among persons with current asthma, 46.0% of children and 41.5% of adults were taking LTC medications and 38.4% of children and 50.0% of adults had uncontrolled asthma. Among children who had uncontrolled asthma (38.4%), 24.1% were taking LTC medications and 14.3% were not taking LTC medications. Among adults who had uncontrolled asthma (50.0%), 26.7% were taking LTC medications and 23.3% were not taking LTC medications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using BRFSS ACBS data to assess the level of asthma control and LTC medication use can identify subpopulations of persons with asthma who receive suboptimal treatment, for which better asthma-related medical treatment and management are needed.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Hatice S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Zahran
authors.affiliation: a Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Cathy M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.affiliation: a Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoting
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: a Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations
keywords: Epidemiology; control; management; pediatrics; therapy