(iVillage Total Health) - Children with asthma often also have developmental or mental health problems that may interfere with their asthma treatment, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of Virginia Children's Hospital analyzed data from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health, a telephone survey of families with children. Parents of more than 102,000 asthmatic children 17 and younger were asked about the severity of their symptoms and any behavior problems the children had.
Childhood asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15 in the United States and is the leading cause of chronic illness among children. Asthma symptoms include shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing and wheezing. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, approximately 20 million people have been diagnosed with asthma, and 9 million of these patients are children.
The study revealed that many of the children with asthma often had an additional behavioral or mental health condition. Depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were among the problems reported by parents. One of 10 children with asthma had problems that lasted more than a year and required treatment or counseling. Parents of these children reported they missed 10 or more days of school because of their conditions.
"We can definitively state that families with asthmatic children not only report higher incidences of ADHD, but also of depression, anxiety and learning disabilities," Dr. James Blackman, the study's lead author, said in a press release. "If we can manage these co-morbidities, we can better help children with asthma and their families to manage the disease in the healthiest way possible."
The researchers concluded that asthma education programs may be more effective if the children's other mental and behavioral issues are addressed first or along with their asthma. Blackman added: "What also is important about this research is that it shows how asthma can lead to psychosocial disadvantages for children in our society."
Results of the study were published in the April 12 issue of The Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
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