 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Michelle Goveia, MD, MPH, Nazerah Shaikh, MPH, Gayle C. Windham, PhD, Katherine Feldman, DVM, MPH, and Rick Kreutzer, MD. Environmental Health Investigations Branch, California Department Of Health Services, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1700, Oakland, CA 94612
Purpose: Asthma prevalence is increasing. Childcare centers can play an important role in controlling asthma morbidity in young children. We assessed asthma-related environmental practices in centers and asthma awareness among childcare staff. Methods: Two descriptive cross-sectional surveys were mailed to 1,250 randomly selected California licensed childcare centers in 2002. Site directors were asked about their center's potential asthma triggers and experience with asthma and were requested to distribute surveys to 3 staff involved in childcare. Staff surveys addressed asthma knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs using previously validated quesions. Results: A total of 284 site directors (24%) and 666 staff members (18%) completed surveys. The median number of children enrolled at the childcare centers was 48 (range 1-1356), with a median of 2 (range 0-55) of those enrolled reported to have asthma. Fifty-five percent of site directors treated an asthma episode at their center with medication during the previous year. Dust was the most commonly reported potential asthma trigger (84%). Although smoking in California childcare centers is illegal, tobacco smoke was reported in 7% of centers. Among staff, the mean percentage (+-SD) of correct responses to knowledge qustions was 66 +-15%. Independent predictors of higher asthma knowledge were older age, white race, longer time working in childcare, and personal asthma experience. Conclusions: This is the largest study assessing asthma- related practices and awareness in childcare centers. Asthma-related environmental risk factors within centers are reported to be common, and there is variability of asthma knowledge among staff.
Learning Objectives:
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.