Characteristics relevant to respiratory health among African Americans attending church-based asthma programs in atlanta

Abstract

Background. Not One More Life (NOML), a health and faith partnership, aims to engage African Americans at risk for asthma morbidity into community-partnered asthma programs. Methods. Not One More Life programs consisted of interactive presentations, a questionnaire, and spirometry. Results. 4,522 individuals attended NOML programs at 136 Atlanta churches over nine years. Over 90% of attendees were African American. Attendees with asthma had high rates of obesity (9.4% of children, 47.9% of adults) and airflow obstruction (34.6% of children, 17.2%, of adults). Over 20% of attendees with asthma reported past hospitalization for asthma. Among those with a history of hospitalizations for asthma, just 17.6% reported treatment with inhaled corticosteroids Conclusion. Not One More Life program attendees with asthma report considerable morbidity including exceptionally high rates of asthma hospitalizations. Participants have multiple remediable characteristics associated with poorly controlled asthma, including medication undertreat-ment and obesity.