Asthma indicators and neighborhood and family stressors related to urban living in children.

Objective: To examine differences in asthma outcomes by levels of child-reported neighborhood and family stress related to urban living in a sample of children and their caregivers.

Methods: A total of 208 urban children with asthma, ages 6-12 and their primary caregivers from African-American, Latino, and non-Latino white backgrounds were included in this study.

Results: Children's report of higher levels of stress was related to poorer asthma control. Children's report of stressors of urban living was associated with asthma functional limitation in families living below the poverty threshold.

Conclusions: The results from this study may inform future avenues for intervention to decrease the effects of specific stressors associated with urban poverty that may serve as barriers to optimal asthma control in this high-risk group.