Asthma, Lung Diseases
Conditions
Brief summary
To study three possible, but yet unproven, influences on pediatric asthma hospitalization rates - diagnostic substitution, different systems of medical care, and asthma medication use.
Detailed description
BACKGROUND: Recent research has shown that asthma admission rates for children vary widely across geographic areas and have increased nationally for the past decade. The results from these studies will have direct relevance to the clinical care and development of public policy for children with asthma. DESIGN NARRATIVE: Specific hypotheses regarding these factors which influence pediatric asthma hospitalization were tested in two different data sets: ecologic studies of trends and area variations of the children residing in the contiguous states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont for 1980 - 1994; retrospective cohort analyses of children enrolled at a staff model HMO, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound for 1977 - 1994. These studies utilized detailed information regarding area and individual 'exposure' to differing systems of health care and asthma medications, controlling for socioeconomic status.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
No minimum to 100 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
No eligibility criteria
Outcome results
None listed