Using parental perceptions of childhood allergic rhinitis to inform primary care management

Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2014 Jul;53(8):758-63. doi: 10.1177/0009922814533590. Epub 2014 May 6.

Abstract

Objective: To describe parents' experience with their child's allergic rhinitis (AR) to inform management by the primary care provider (PCP).

Study design: Two hundred parents with a child 7 to 15 years old with AR symptoms within the past 12 months completed a paper survey.

Results: The child's AR was identified as a significant problem in spring (89.3%), fall (63.4%), summer (50.3%), and winter (21.4%); 51.3% had persistent disease. AR symptoms most commonly interfered with the child's outdoor activities and sleeping, and frequently bothered the parent and other family members. Most parents (88.3%) wanted to know what their child was allergic to and had many concerns about treatment options. A total of 62.9% had sought AR care from the PCP in the past 12 months.

Conclusions: Many families experience significant morbidity from their child's AR and turn to their PCP for help. We identified opportunities for the PCP to reduce AR morbidity.

Keywords: allergic rhinitis; practice-based research network.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Help-Seeking Behavior*
  • Histamine Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Parent-Child Relations*
  • Parents*
  • Patient Outcome Assessment
  • Perception
  • Primary Health Care / statistics & numerical data*
  • Professional-Family Relations
  • Rhinitis, Allergic / drug therapy
  • Rhinitis, Allergic / physiopathology*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States

Substances

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones
  • Histamine Antagonists