The associations between victimization, feeling unsafe, and asthma episodes among US high-school students

Am J Public Health. 2006 May;96(5):802-4. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.066514. Epub 2006 Mar 29.

Abstract

We examined the associations between victimization, missed school because of feeling unsafe, and asthma episodes among US high-school students using the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Cross-sectional analyses on adolescents with asthma (n=1943) showed that any victimization and missed school because of feeling unsafe significantly increased the odds of having an asthma episode in the past year (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07, 1.95 and adjusted OR = 2.93; 95% CI = 1.90, 4.53, respectively). Victimization and feeling unsafe are important but poorly understood risk factors for asthma.

MeSH terms

  • Absenteeism*
  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior
  • Asthma / epidemiology*
  • Crime Victims / statistics & numerical data*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Safety / statistics & numerical data*
  • Schools / statistics & numerical data*
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Violence