Fitzpatrick AM, Kavalieratos D, Vickery BP, Lee T, Mason C, Grunwell JR. Altered Symptom Perception in Children With Asthma Is Associated With Poor Childhood Opportunity and Adverse Outcomes.
THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. IN PRACTICE 2024;
12:983-990. [PMID:
38142865 PMCID:
PMC10999352 DOI:
10.1016/j.jaip.2023.12.022]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Effective asthma self-management requires that children recognize their asthma symptoms when they occur. However, some children have altered symptom perception, which impairs their ability to respond to their asthma symptoms in a timely manner.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the prevalence and features of altered symptom perception in children aged 5 to 18 years. We hypothesized that children with altered symptom perception would have more features of uncontrolled asthma, more health inequity, and poorer longitudinal asthma outcomes over 12 months.
METHODS
Children (N = 371) completed an outpatient research visit for clinical characterization. Altered symptom perception was defined by discordance between child responses on the 6-item Asthma Control Questionnaire and medical provider-elicited symptoms. Electronic medical records were reviewed for 12 months for the occurrence of an asthma exacerbation treated with systemic corticosteroids and an asthma exacerbation prompting an emergency department visit.
RESULTS
Approximately 15% of children had altered symptom perception and their asthma features were similar to those of children with uncontrolled asthma. Children with altered symptom perception were uniquely distinguished by non-White race and more severe prior exacerbations. These children also resided in ZIP codes with the poorest childhood opportunity (ie, poorest education, health and environmental features, and socioeconomic features). Outcomes of children with altered symptom perception were equally disparate with approximately 2-fold higher odds of a future exacerbation and approximately 3-fold higher odds of an emergency department visit for asthma.
CONCLUSIONS
Altered symptom perception is present in a small but significant number of children with asthma and is related to poorer childhood opportunity and other health inequities that require additional intervention.
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