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Asthma Associations in Children Attending a Museum of Science

Author

Listed:
  • Laura Corlin

    (Community Health Program, Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences, Medford, MA 02155, USA)

  • Mark Woodin

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA)

  • Danny Newhide

    (Community Health Program, Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences, Medford, MA 02155, USA)

  • Erika Brown

    (Community Health Program, Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences, Medford, MA 02155, USA)

  • Sarah Valentina Diaz

    (Community Health Program, Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences, Medford, MA 02155, USA)

  • Amy Chi

    (Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA)

  • Doug Brugge

    (Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA)

Abstract

We explored the relative strength of environmental and social factors associated with pediatric asthma in middle class families and considered the efficacy of recruitment for an educational study at a science museum. Eligibility criteria were having a child aged 4–12 and English fluency. Our questionnaire included information on demographics, home environment, medical history, and environmental toxicant exposures. Statistically significant associations were found for: child’s age ( t = −2.46; p = 0.014), allergies (OR = 11.5; 95%CI = 5.9–22.5), maternal asthma (OR = 2.2; 95%CI = 1.2–3.9), parents’ education level (OR = 0.5; 95%CI = 0.3–0.9), family income (OR = 2.4; 95%CI = 1.1–5.5), water damage at home (OR = 2.5; 95%CI = 1.1–5.5), stuffed animals in bedroom (OR = 0.4; 95%CI = 0.2–0.7), hospitalization within a week after birth (OR = 3.2; 95%CI = 1.4–7.0), diagnosis of pneumonia (OR = 2.8; 95%CI = 1.4–5.9), and multiple colds in a year (OR = 2.9; 95%CI = 1.5–5.7). Several other associations approached statistical significance, including African American race (OR = 3.3; 95%CI = 1.0–10.7), vitamin D supplement directive (OR = 0.2; 95%CI = 0.02–1.2), mice in the home (OR = 0.5, 95%CI = 0.2–1.1), and cockroaches in the home (OR = 4.3; CI = 0.8–21.6). In logistic regression, age, parents’ education, allergies, mold allergies, hospitalization after birth, stuffed animals in the bedroom, vitamin D supplement directive, and water damage in the home were all significant independent predictors of asthma. The urban science museum was a low-resource approach to address the relative importance of risk factors in this population.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Corlin & Mark Woodin & Danny Newhide & Erika Brown & Sarah Valentina Diaz & Amy Chi & Doug Brugge, 2013. "Asthma Associations in Children Attending a Museum of Science," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-15, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:10:y:2013:i:9:p:4117-4131:d:28552
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Meghan B Azad & Yuri Lissitsyn & Gregory E Miller & Allan B Becker & Kent T HayGlass & Anita L Kozyrskyj, 2012. "Influence of Socioeconomic Status Trajectories on Innate Immune Responsiveness in Children," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(6), pages 1-9, June.
    2. William Cookson, 1999. "The alliance of genes and environment in asthma and allergy," Nature, Nature, vol. 402(6760), pages 5-11, November.
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