The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #60284

Gale A. Spencer, RN, PhD¹, A. Serdar Atav, PhD¹, Olcay Akman, PhD², and Nannette F. Van Dyke, MS, RN, PCNP¹. (1) Decker School of Nursing, Binghamton University, PO Box 6000, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, (2) Mathematics and Statistics, Coastal Caroline University, PO Box 261954, Conway, SC 29528

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of pediatric asthma in Westchester County, New York. The Westchester County Department of Health is actively works with the American Lung Association as a part of a multi-county grant to increase education on asthma and to expand the Open Airways Programs in Schools in targeted areas of the Hudson Valley. The Westchester Department of Health contracted with the Kresge Center for Nursing Research to conduct a prevalence study to provide base line data on pediatric asthma. The data from this study will be used to direct future interventions for education, prevention, and treatment of pediatric asthma in the county. To this end, the Kresge Center Staff has contacted all hospital based pediatric outpatient clinics, neighborhood health centers, and large pediatric practices across the county. Data gathering included access to electronic records, printed materials, as well as a review of a random selection of patient records. The study involved active participation of the Kresge Center, an academic statistician, and the county health department officials. This presentation will focus on the development of the sampling procedures, the data collection process, and the techniques by which the final estimates were calculated. The challenges of cooperating with colleagues across disciplines and distances will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the process by which a collaborative applied research study on asthma prevalence is conducted.
• Discuss the development of a sampling plan to accurately estimate pediatric asthma prevalence in a large county.
• Articulate both facilitators and barriers to working with professionals across disciplines and distances.

Keywords: Asthma, Collaboration

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.