• The findings suggest that asthma diagnosis and active symptoms are prevalent among this predominately minority and low-income rural population in the Arkansas region of the Mississippi Delta. [ Time Frame: One year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

• High rates of inadequately controlled asthma are evidenced by activity limitation, medication use and increased healthcare utilization. [ Time Frame: One year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

Asthma is the leading chronic disease of childhood in the United States and an important public health concern in Arkansas. Arkansas, a predominately rural state, has one of the leading mortality rates in the nation for African Americans. The specific aims of the study will examine asthma prevalence in children age 4-17 years old in public schools in Eudora and Marvell Arkansas. The study will also examine asthma morbidity among identified asthmatics by characterizing activity limitation, days missed from school, daytime and nocturnal symptoms, healthcare utilization and medication use.

The specific aims of the current study will provide novel data on an understudied population of asthmatics and will test our working hypotheses that pediatric asthma prevalence in the Delta region of Arkansas is higher than national estimates; and asthma diagnosis is related to significant morbidity among rural asthmatics.