Very few studies of asthma in American Indian young people have been reported. This epidemiological study investigates the prevalence of self-reported asthma and its risk factors among American Indians aged 9 to 21 years at a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school. Participants completed both video-based and written questionnaires based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Lung function was also measured by spirometer. Of 357 students eligible for initial screening, 352 participated. Among these 352 participants, two thirds of the students were from Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico; 180 are female and 172 are male. Four of five questions from the video questionnaire were related to lung function measures. Decreased forced expiratory volume measured in one-second (FEV1) is significantly related to exercise wheeze, wheeze disturbed sleep and night cough (p<=0.05). Decreased forced vital capacity (FVC) is significantly related to exercise wheeze (p<=0.05). Decreased FEV1/FVC ratio is significantly related to wheeze, exercise wheeze and night cough (p<=0.05). Decreased peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) is significantly related to self-reported physician diagnosed asthma, wheeze disturbed sleep and night cough (p<=0.05). Decreased forced expiratory volume measured in three seconds (FEV3) is significantly related to exercise wheeze (p<=0.05). None of the lung functions tested are related to any wheezing symptoms from the written questionnaire. The video-based questionnaire appears to be more accurate in estimating significant wheezing symptoms in this group of American Indian youth.
Learning Objectives: Show the relationship between lung function tests and self-reported asthma symptoms in a group of American Indian youth.
Keywords: Asthma, Screening
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