Asthma remains a significant public health concern for pediatric populations and disproportionately impacts ethnic minorities. Youth appear to be at heightened risk for asthma morbidity during adolescence. Research has begun to identify factors that contribute to asthma disparities. Key issues in patient-provider communication, especially for Latinos, may play a role. For adolescents in particular, communication with asthma care providers may be important for successful asthma management and the maintenance of positive clinical outcomes. The present study proposes to examine adolescent-parent-provider communication in Latino and non- Latino white youth with asthma, employing both archival data analysis and original data collection methods. Archival data will be made available through the NHLBI funded study entitled """"""""Pediatric Asthma Disparities: Perceptions and Management,"""""""" which is a joint effort by the Rhode Island-Puerto Rico Asthma Center (RIPRAC;Grant #U01-H1072438;PI G. Fritz). RIPRAC, which was established in 2002, is one of the four NHLBI centers funded to study asthma health disparities. Quantitative analyses will identify sociocultural factors relating to adolescent-parent-provider communication and associations between adolescent-parent-provider communication and clinical outcomes for Latino and non-Latino white adolescents with asthma. Focus group data will provide an in-depth account of parent and adolescent perspectives of adolescent-parent-provider communication. Using a theory-based model in conjunction with quantitative and qualitative analyses will increase the methodological rigor of this study.
This study will inform future research regarding adolescent-parent-provider communication and its relation to existing asthma health disparities, and serve as a model for assessing adolescent-parent-provider communication in chronic health conditions with diverse patient groups. Ultimately, this study will facilitate design of future interventions to improve adolescent-parent-provider communication and clinical outcomes, thereby ameliorating existing health disparities for Latino youth and adolescents with asthma.
