Child Asthma and Parental Mental Health: Exploring Associations by Parental Sex

OBJECTIVE: Childhood asthma is a chronic condition that can be controlled with treatment. However, parents of children with asthma may face stressors such as juggling work and asthma care responsibilities, including the unpredictability of acute episodes. The current study examines associations between child asthma and parental mental health by parental sex and explores whether these differences reflect established differences seen in depression and anxiety symptoms. METHODS: Weighted pair data from the 2019-2023 National Health Interview Survey permitted separate analysis of mother-child and father-child pairs. Logistic regression models examined associations between current child asthma and episodes/attacks in the past 12 months among children with current asthma with reported feelings of parental anxiety and/or depression, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: Mothers living with a child with asthma were more likely to report feelings of anxiety and/or depression compared to mothers not living with a child with asthma (AOR = 1.99-95% CI = 1.64-2.42). In addition, mothers living with a child with asthma who had an episode/attack in the past 12 months were more likely to report feelings of anxiety and/or depression than mothers living with a child with asthma without an episode/attack (AOR = 1.52-95% CI = 1.06-2.19). Weaker and nonsignificant associations were found between feelings of anxiety and/or depression among fathers by child asthma status (AOR = 1.30-95% CI = 0.95-1.79) and whether the child had an episode/attack in the past 12 months (AOR = 1.32-95% CI = 0.69-2.52). CONCLUSIONS: The current study highlights a potential increased risk for anxiety and/or depression among mothers raising a child with asthma when compared to fathers.