Table 1.
Baseline characteristics by timing of the first contact with an asthma counselor.
| Characteristic | Contact with asthma counselor before 12 months | p-Value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes (n = 139) | No (n = 20) | |||||
| Symptoms | 6.6 ± 5.0 | 5.8 ± 3.9 | 0.48 | |||
| Parish | 0.004 | |||||
| Orleans | 88/139 (63%) | 19/20 (95%) | ||||
| Jeffersona | 51/139 (37%) | 1/20 (5%) | ||||
| Enrollment season | < 0.001 | |||||
| Spring 2007 | 14/139 (10%) | 15/20 (75%) | ||||
| Summer 2007 | 36/139 (26%) | 4/20 (20%) | ||||
| Fall 2007 | 49/139 (35%) | — | ||||
| Winter 2007 | 32/139 (23%) | 1/20 (5%) | ||||
| Spring 2008 | 8/139 (6%) | — | ||||
| Race/ethnicity | 0.03 | |||||
| African American | 88/139 (63%) | 17/20 (85%) | ||||
| Hispanic | 9/139 (6%) | 2/20 (10%) | ||||
| Other | 42/139 (30%) | 1/20 (5%) | ||||
| Income < $15,000 | 30/128 (23%) | 7/19 (37%) | 0.26 | |||
| Female sex | 61/139 (44%) | 12/20 (60%) | 0.81 | |||
| Lung function | ||||||
| FEV1% predicted | 90.7 ± 17.7 | 98.3 ± 15.1 | 0.25 | |||
| FEV1/FVC | 77.8 ± 10.5 | 80.0 ± 8.3 | 0.57 | |||
| Taking Inhaled corticosteroids | 81/139 (58%) | 11/20 (55%) | 0.81 | |||
| Mold levels (spores/m3) | ||||||
| Outdoor total | 3,281 (445) | 8,408 (2,299) | 0.01 | |||
| Indoor total | 480 (52) | 675 (237) | 0.28 | |||
| IgE (serum) | ||||||
| Total IgE (kU/L) | 130 (38) | 240 (32) | 0.10 | |||
| Positive mold-specific IgE | 74/133 (56%) | 7/19 (37%) | 0.63 | |||
| Exposure to allergens in dust | ||||||
| Alternaria > 10 µg/g | 86/138 (62%) | 7/20 (35%) | 0.03 | |||
| Detectable roach | 30/138 (22%) | 3/20 (15%) | 0.77 | |||
| Detectable dust mite | 54/138 (39%) | 5/20 (25%) | 0.32 | |||
| Detectable mouse | 84/138 (61%) | 12/20 (60%) | 0.99 | |||
| Skin test result | ||||||
| Alternaria | 72/138 (52%) | 11/20 (55%) | 0.99 | |||
| Roach | 69/138 (50%) | 12/20 (60%) | 0.48 | |||
| Dust mite | 89/138 (64%) | 16/20 (80%) | 0.21 | |||
| Mouse | 39/138 (28%) | 5/20 (25%) | 0.99 | |||
| Abbreviations: FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 sec; FVC, forced vital capacity. Values are n (%), mean ± SD, or geometric mean (geometric SD). aAlso includes St.Tammany and St. Bernard. | ||||||