Parental Stress and Exacerbated Asthma in Children

According to University of Queensland research, there is a correlation between parental stress caused by financial difficulties and increased asthma symptoms in children.

Dr. K M Shahunja of UQ’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health led a study that examined data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children collected over 14 years.

We examined the relationship between psychosocial factors such as maternal depression, financial hardship, stressful life events, and parental availability, and the occurrence of wheezing as a symptom of asthma.

We compared children who experienced wheezing during their childhood with those who didn’t have it recorded in their medical history.

Children with parents experiencing moderate to increasing levels of stress were found to be 77 percent more likely to have elevated rates of wheezing, compared to those who encountered fewer stressful events.

Children exposed to moderate levels of maternal depression had a 55 percent higher likelihood of experiencing elevated rates of wheezing, and children with parents facing moderate financial hardship had a 40 percent increased risk of experiencing this respiratory issue.

While previous research has shown general parental stress can trigger their child’s asthma, this is the first time we’ve linked a parent’s depression and financial stress to increased asthma symptoms throughout childhood.”

Dr K M Shahunja, UQ’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health

According to Dr. Shahunja, this is the first study in Australia to look at the relationship of psychosocial factors with asthma symptoms using longitudinal analyses of children aged one to fifteen.

“People are generally aware that environmental factors like smoking, traffic pollution and allergens can trigger asthma symptoms, but perhaps don’t realize psychosocial stressors can also have a harmful effect,” Dr Shahunja said.

“It’s important parents and health professionals understand the significant influence the psychosocial environment has on children and how stressors can exacerbate asthma symptoms.

“Further research is needed to develop effective strategies to address maternal depression, financial hardship, and parental stress for long-term asthma control in children.”

Dr Shahunja collaborated with co-authors Associate Professor Abdullah Mamun from the University of Queensland’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and Professor Peter Sly from the University of Queensland’s Child Health Research Centre.

Source: The University of Queensland

For more information: Trajectories of psychosocial environmental factors and their associations with asthma symptom trajectories among children in Australia. Pediatric Pulmonology.

doi.org/10.1002/ppul.26733