Strong Family Relationships Help Children with Asthma Who Live in Difficult Neighborhoods

Children living in dangerous or disorderly neighborhoods showed fewer asthma symptoms and better pulmonary function when they had strong family relationships, according to a study published in the August 2019 issue of Pediatrics. The study, “Neighborhood Social Conditions, Family Relationships, and Childhood Asthma” (published online July 18) looked at the combined effects of neighborhood social conditions and family relationship quality on childhood asthma. The authors analyzed data on 308 Chicago-area children between ages 9-17 between 2013 and 2016, rating the neighborhoods where the children lived by conducting virtual walks through street segments using Google Street View imagery. Children who lived in dangerous or disorderly neighborhoods showed fewer asthma symptoms, fewer activity limitations, and better pulmonary function if they had strong family relationships, according to the findings. Authors hypothesized that positive family relationships help children to prioritize important asthma management behaviors despite the neighborhood stressors around them.

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