The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing West Nebraska Division in Scottsbluff recently received a $197,856 Native American Research Centers for Health grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Assistant Professor T. Kim Rodehorst, Ph.D., is principal investigator for the grant and will use the funding for asthma screening in Northern Plains’ tribal communities.
The pilot grant, titled “Screening for Asthma Among Children in Northern Plains Tribal Communities,” will test the feasibility of conducting an asthma screening program in the tribal communities. Throughout the next four years, researchers want to determine the number of asthmatic children currently undiagnosed and identify children who are not receiving the appropriate level of care for their condition.
Dr. Rodehorst said in previous studies she and her colleagues screened over 1,000 children in rural communities.
“We hope to improve the quality of life for more kids through asthma management,” Dr. Rodehorst said. “In the rural communities, we found that some children were diagnosed with asthma, but were not taking their medication. People were very receptive to the screening, and most of the parents were glad to have the information.”
Results from the tribal community screening will be compiled from written questionnaires and spirometry, which is an instrument used to measure lung capacity. The questionnaires have been used by the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology in many community-based asthma screening programs and include 21 questions related to a person’s activity level, allergies, exposure to pets and reaction to smoke or cold air. Children who are identified as being at risk for asthma through the questionnaires and spirometry are then referred to their primary health care provider.
Faculty and students from the UNMC College of Nursing and members from the tribal communities will conduct the asthma screenings. Susan L. Wilhelm, Ph.D, and MaryBeth Stepans, Ph.D, are co-investigators on the project. Consultants from South Dakota, Oregon and Washington will also be assisting with the study.