Faculty Collaboration Database

Parental coping, depressive symptoms, and children's asthma control and school attendance in low-income, racially, and ethnically diverse urban families. J Asthma 2017 Oct;54(8):833-841

Date

01/18/2017

Pubmed ID

28095072

Pubmed Central ID

PMC6442724

DOI

10.1080/02770903.2016.1274402

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85014512104 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   21 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Low-income urban children of color are at elevated risk for poor asthma control. This cross-sectional study examined associations among parents' coping (primary control, secondary control, and disengagement), parental depressive symptoms, and children's asthma outcomes (asthma control and school attendance) in a predominantly low-income, racially/ethnically diverse sample of families.

METHODS: Parents (N = 78; 90% female) of children (33% female; 46% Black; 38% Latino) aged 5-17 years (M = 9.5 years) reported on their own coping and depressive symptoms, their child's asthma control, and full and partial days of school missed due to asthma.

RESULTS: Parents' secondary control coping (i.e., coping efforts to accommodate/adapt to asthma-related stressors) was negatively correlated, and disengagement coping (i.e. coping efforts to avoid/detach from stressors) was positively correlated, with their depressive symptoms. Secondary control coping was also correlated with fewer partial days of school missed. Primary control coping (i.e., coping efforts to change stressors) was not associated with depressive symptoms or asthma outcomes. Parents' depressive symptoms were also positively correlated with poorer asthma control and partial days of school missed. Regression models showed direct and indirect effects of secondary control and disengagement coping on asthma outcomes via depressive symptoms, after controlling for demographic factors.

CONCLUSIONS: Parents' secondary control and disengagement coping are related to children's asthma outcomes. Secondary control coping may support parents' mental health and children's asthma control in low-income urban families.

Author List

Rodríguez EM, Kumar H, Alba-Suarez J, Sánchez-Johnsen L

Author

Lisa Sanchez-Johnsen PhD Center Associate Director, Professor in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Absenteeism
Adaptation, Psychological
Adolescent
Asthma
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Depression
Female
Humans
Male
Parents
Poverty
Stress, Psychological
Urban Population