The effect of paternal social support on maternal disruption caused by childhood asthma.

Baseline data obtained from a study of 228 low-income Black and Hispanic mothers of children with asthma were analyzed to test the hypothesis that the presence of adults in the household, and paternal involvement in asthma care would be associated with less disruption of mothers' daily activities due to the child's asthma. The data were analyzed using multiple regression techniques. We controlled for other variables that might affect the amount of disruption that mothers reported, including the child's age and severity of asthma. The mere presence of other adults in the household, including the father, was not significantly associated with disruption. The frequency of the father's involvement in the care of the child's asthma was inversely associated with disruption regardless of his presence in the household. Hispanic ethnicity and severity of the child's asthma were directly associated with disruption while the age of the child was inversely associated with disruption. We conclude that it is a specific type of assistance (sharing asthma tasks) rendered by fathers living within or outside of the household that reduces disruption reported by mothers. The study suggests that health care providers can improve education and counseling for families who have a child with asthma by emphasizing to fathers their importance in the care of asthma, and by helping them identify specific actions they can take to manage the child's disease.