Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #101219

Colleen Caron, PhD, Disease Prevention and Control, Rhode Island Department of Health, 3 Capitol Hill, Room 403 Cannon Building, Providence, RI 02908, 401-222-5086, colleen_caron@brown.edu and Annie Gjelsvik, PhD, Center for Health Information and Communication, Rhode Island Department of Health, 3 Capitol Hill, Room 103 Cannon Building, Providence, RI 02908.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions among adults in the United States climbing to 11.7 percent in 2000. Rhode Island surpassed this rise – 14.4 percent of adults aged 18 and older have lifetime asthma.

Poverty is associated with elevated asthma prevalence, as are race, ethnicity and urban residence. This research investigated the impact of asthma and poverty independently and combined on primary and secondary prevention behaviors, and health status indicators important to the health of individuals with asthma.

Primary prevention behaviors were smoking and physical activity; secondary health preventive behaviors were annual physician visits and flu shots. Health status indicators were obesity and depression.

Rhode Island Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2001-2003) data was analyzed. The sample size was 12,016.

Results reveal poverty, asthma, and their intersection had statistically significant effects on most outcome measures. Women with asthma and poverty had the highest prevalence of smoking, obesity, and depression compared to all other women and the lowest prevalence of physical activity. Within asthma status women who were poor had a lower prevalence of physical activity compared to their counterparts who were not poor. Similar patterns were seen among men.

The results demonstrate the differential manifestation of the intersection between poverty and gender on asthma and its associated preventive health behaviors and health outcomes. Discussion on how these results support the application of public health frameworks and evidence-based health education interventions that account for the influence of the socio-economic context on health behaviors and outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Following the presentation, the audience will be able to apply the public health framework of primary, secondary preventive behaviors and health outcomes to evidence-based asthma health education interventions and primary care practice.
• 2.Following the presentation, the audience will be able to integrate asthma surveillance data and public health frameworks to design state-wide public health education and health promotion efforts
• 3.Following the presentation, the audience will be able to develop a statewide asthma strategic plan that accounts for the socio-economic context in their objectives and interventions.

Keywords: Asthma, Poverty

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.