摘要：Homeless children in New York City had an extremely high asthma prevalence—40%—in a cross-sectional study at 3 shelters (n=740) during 1998 to 1999. We used the same protocol to summarize subsequent data through December 2002. Asthma prevalence was 33% (n=1636); only 15% of the children previously diagnosed were taking an asthma controller medication. Emergency department use was 59%. These data were used to support a class action lawsuit that was resolved in favor of homeless children with asthma in New York City. A recent study found the highest recorded pediatric asthma prevalence—40%—among New York City’s homeless children. 1 The findings received considerable press attention, both locally 2 , 3 and nationally. 4 This cross-sectional study of children (N = 740) of families entering the homeless shelter system was conducted at 3 shelter sites during a 15-month period (June 1998–September 1999). The 1-page, 10-item screening tool, designed by the Children’s Health Fund Childhood Asthma Initiative, included questions about asthma symptoms during the past month, whether the child had ever been given a diagnosis of asthma, current medication use, and emergency department use in the preceding 12 months. The item on previous diagnosis was similar to that used in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the National Health Interview Survey: “Has a doctor ever told you that your child has asthma?” Symptom questions were coded to be consistent with severity staging criteria of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute asthma guidelines. 5
