Puerto Rican Families' Experiences of Asthma and Use of the Emergency Department for Asthma Care

Jean Coffey, Michelle Cloutier, Mikki Meadows-Oliver, Carlos Terrazos

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Puerto Ricans have been found to have higher asthma prevalence rates than non-Hispanic whites, blacks, and all other Hispanic subgroups. They also have the highest rates of emergency department (ED) use for the management of their asthma. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, the aim of this study was to describe the lived experience of Puerto Rican families caring for their child's asthma and using the ED for asthma care. Six themes were generated from in-depth interviews with 10 Puerto-Rican caregivers: (1) The Folklore of Asthma, (2) Culture and the Medicine Woman, (3) In Awe of Asthma, (4) Praying to God, (5) The Decision-Time to Go, and (6) The ED Environment. The findings emphasize the necessity of establishing and maintaining a therapeutic partnership between primary care providers and families of children with asthma. The results may be used as a foundation for understanding motivations for seeking asthma care in the ED.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)356-363
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Pediatric Health Care
Volume26
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2012

Keywords

  • Asthma
  • Emergency department
  • Qualitative research

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Puerto Rican Families' Experiences of Asthma and Use of the Emergency Department for Asthma Care'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this