TABLE 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Study Population According to Group Assignment
| Characteristics | Intervention Group (N = 110) | Control Group (N = 115) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean ± SD, y | 8.8 ± 1.8 | 8.4 ± 1.8 | .160 |
| Male, n (%) | 74 (67) | 65 (57) | .097 |
| Race, n (%) | .565 | ||
| Black | 65 (59) | 60 (52) | — |
| White | 43 (39) | 52 (45) | — |
| Other | 2 (2) | 3 (3) | — |
| Annual household income, mean ± SD, $ | 30 524 ± 24 416 | 29 595 ± 21 649 | .767 |
| No. of unscheduled asthma visits in previous 3 mo, mean ± SD | 0.6 ± 1.0 | 1.0 ± 1.4 | .013 |
| Measures of asthma severity, n (%) | |||
| Allergy severity (moderate to very severe) | 47 (43) | 55 (48) | .443 |
| Shortness of breath (moderate to very severe) | 46 (42) | 61 (53) | .104 |
| Tightness in chest (moderate to very severe) | 29 (27) | 37 (33) | .317 |
| Wheeze (moderate to very severe) | 44 (40) | 46 (40) | .955 |
| Difficulty sleeping (moderate to very severe) | 42 (38) | 53 (46) | .208 |
| Steroid therapy in previous 3 mo | 30 (27) | 37 (34) | .305 |
| Long-acting steroid therapy | 58 (53) | 60 (52) | .877 |
| Duration of asthma, mean ± SD, d | 9.8 ± 18.7 | 10.2 ± 11.7 | .841 |
| Serum immunoglobulin E levels of ≥0.35 kU/L for common allergens, n (%) | 74 (67) | 70 (61) | .310 |
| Exhaled nitric-oxide level, mean ± SD, ppb | 14.7 ± 10.0 | 16.3 ± 12.3 | .302 |