Challenges in providing preventive care to inner-city children with asthma.

Although the scientific understanding of the pathophysiology of asthma and the quality of asthma therapies have significantly improved over the past 30 years, asthma morbidity remains high and preventive care low for inner-city children. This article focuses on 4 major challenges to providing preventive care (family and patient attitudes and beliefs, lack of access to quality medical care, psychosocial factors, environmental factors) based on prior evidence and the authors' observation of these challenges in research with inner-city children with asthma over the past decade. Cost issues related to preventive care are addressed, and recommendations provide for pediatric nurses.