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Leslianne Soto-Class, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico, Urb. Quintas de Campeche, #403 Calle Begonia, Carolina, PR 00987, (787) 757-9856, leslie_2810@hotmail.com
Asthma and atopic dermatitis are diseases that are increasing in United States and worldwide especially among schoolchildren. In Puerto Rico the prevalence of both diseases on children are unknown. It is important to determine if there is an association between asthma and atopic dermatitis. For this reason a cross-sectional study was designed to estimate the asthma prevalence on schoolchildren in a coastal municipality (Humacao) of Puerto Rico. The study population consisted of all children attending the second grade of privates and public schools in the School District of Humacao. A questionnaire, designed by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC), was modified and validate to determine the prevalence of asthma and atopic dermatitis. The questionnaire was sent with the children to the parents for its completion. The response rate was 52%. To evaluate the possible correlation between both diseases the prevalence odds ratio was estimated. The prevalence odds ratio was 3.19 (IC 95%: 1.94, 5.25). A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the relation of asthma and atopic dermatitis. The prevalence of both diseases was high; the prevalence of asthma was 21.5% and the prevalence for atopic dermatitis was 22.3%. The results of this study points out that further research should be conducted to evaluate not only the biological plausibility of the observation but also the inclusion of both criteria in any health intervention geared toward this highly susceptible population.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Asthma, Hispanic Youth
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.