Abstract
Increasing prevalence of asthma in children in the United States is a major public
health issue. Children in the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) program are one
of the most vulnerable populations in the United States, with high rates of health
disparities. We examined health determinants of asthma among Hispanic/Latino children
enrolled in the Michigan MSHS programs. This study was a secondary data analysis based
on the 2012 to 2013 ChildPlus dataset collected by Michigan Telamon Corporation. Sociodemographic
and health information of 905 children aged 0 to 5 years was obtained from the dataset.
Data were collected through interviews with parents by Telamon's specialists at each
of the 18 Michigan MSHS centers. To determine children having asthma, health specialists
at each center asked parents if their child/children had ever received asthma treatment.
Weight status of children was categorized into nonoverweight/obese, overweight, and
obese according to age- and sex-specific World Health Organization and Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention growth chart standards. Multivariate logistic regression
was used to identify asthma determinants. The overall prevalence of taking asthma
treatment among Michigan MSHS children was 5.5%. Obese children had a higher odds
ratio (OR) of asthma compared with nonoverweight/obese children (OR: 2.52; 95% confidence
interval: 1.33–4.78). Children's age, health insurance status, and mothers' employment
status were associated with asthma (p-values < 0.05). MSHS children are vulnerable to asthma, and their sociodemographic
and obesity status are key determinants of having asthma. Identifying determinants
of asthma might be helpful to design health policies and programs as well as implement
health services for this population.
Keywords
asthma - childhood obesity - Hispanic/Latino children - Migrant and Seasonal Head
Start
