Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2005

Mentor: Rebecca Gruchalla
Department: Internal Medicine - Allergy and Immunology Division
Room number: J4.126
Mail Code: 8859
Phone number: 214-648-9092
E-mail: nina.gorham@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title: Caregiver Stress and Childhood Asthma Morbidity

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): # 022005-022, pending
Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): N/A

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects) Patient-based research

Brief Description of Project:
Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood affecting more than three million children in the United States. Having a high prevalence among minority and poor children, the disease's impact includes tremendous social and economic costs to our society. Given that the family is an important influence on the health and development of children, we are interested in determining whether caregiver perceived stress is directly related to a child's asthma morbidity.
In order to evaluate the clinical significance of previous observations that caregiver stress may play a role in childhood asthma morbidity, we will 1) use an observational design to evaluate the relationship between caregiver perceived stress and asthma morbidity in children with persistent asthma and 2) explore the nature of any interaction among a) caregiver perceived stress, b) quality of life of children with persistent asthma and c) his/her asthma morbidity. This study will survey 100 asthmatic children and their caregivers during their clinic appointments at Children's Medical Center Allergy and Immunology Clinic. Caregivers will complete the Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale to quantify their current feelings of stress, anger and lack of control of their lives. Children will complete Juniper's Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire which measures the problems that children experience as a result of their asthma. Asthma morbidity will be accessed using a morbidity questionnaire.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:
Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellow, 2003 - 2004:
Community Leadership in Preventing Asthma (CLIP-Asthma) -
Effects of School Allergen Levels on Asthma Prevalence

Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellow, 2004 - 2005:
Community Leadership in Preventing Asthma (CLIP-Asthma) -
Home Exposures and Skin Test Sensitivity of Children with Asthma or Asthma-like Symptoms
Caregiver Stress and Childhood Asthma Morbidity

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