Research Focus
Asthma, the most common chronic condition affecting youth, disproportionately impacts Black youth (twice the national prevalence), and children living in poverty (1.5 times their peers). Programs that successfully target asthma management through environmental interventions exist, but are under-implemented among vulnerable populations due to social and economic contextual barriers (i.e., poverty, resources, environmental conditions). This summer, we will focus most on the following projects related to pediatric asthma and home environments:
Asthma Home Environmental Assessment (Asthma HOME) pilot study – An investigation of the feasibility of a program with (a) an evidence-based Medicaid approved asthma home environment assessment, (b) a trigger mitigation plan, and (c) aligned implementation strategies. We are recruiting families of youth with high-risk asthma who have received emergency or in-patient services in St. Louis Children’s Hospital for participation in this pilot. Summer students will be able to assist in data collection and analysis.
Scoping review on pediatric asthma, environmental interventions, and air pollution – A review of the literature on environmental interventions for children with asthma and the extent to which air quality and pollution are addressed. We anticipate that summer students will be able to assist in the data extraction process and summation of results.
Skills, Techniques, Methods
- Searching and summarizing literature
- Research ethics in working with human subjects
- Conducting surveys and interviews/focus groups
- Qualitative data cleaning and coding in NVivo
- Quantitative data analysis in SPSS
- Community-engagement efforts
Research Conditions
The research will be conducted in the office at 4480 Clayton Ave St. Louis, MO 63110. The main activities during the summer will involve conducting a literature review, data collection, and data analysis.
Team Structure and Opportunities
The undergraduate student will work closely with the Postdoctoral Research Associate, Dr. Lindsay Spell. Weekly lab meetings will take place on Wednesdays. Information about the team can be found on Health Equity, Opportunity, and Education Lab website. Opportunities for independent research can be discussed with Dr. Kelly Harris.
