OBJECTIVE: 1). To describe the factors associated with not receiving an @entity565 diagnosis among @entity1 with frequent wheezing symptoms and 2). to determine risk factors for frequent wheezing in the population. METHODS: The North Carolina School @entity565 Survey provided self-reported questionnaire data on respiratory health from 122 829 @entity1 ages 12 to 18 years enrolled in 499 public middle schools in North Carolina during the 1999-2000 school year. Questions from the International Survey of @entity566 and @entity565 in Childhood were used to estimate the prevalence of @entity565 and wheezing-related illness and associated factors. RESULTS: Factors independently associated with undiagnosed frequent wheezing versus asymptomatic @entity1 included female gender (odds ratio [OR]: 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.35-1.54), current smoking (OR: 2.60; 95% CI: 2.43-2.79), exposure to household smoke (OR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.50-1.70), low socioeconomic status (OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.42-1.63), and African American (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.15-1.34), Native American (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.11-1.62), and Mexican American (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.17-1.48) race/ethnicity. Urban residence showed a weak negative association (OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85-0.96). A similar pattern of results was observed for analyses comparing odds of undiagnosed frequent wheeze versus diagnosed @entity748 . Report of @entity566 was less likely in frequent wheezers (70%) compared with diagnosed @entity748 (86%), but much higher than in asymptomatic @entity1 (36%). Thirty-three percent of @entity1 with undiagnosed frequent wheezing reported 1 or more physician visits in the last year for wheezing or breathing problems compared with 71% of @entity1 with diagnosed @entity565 , and 4% in asymptomatic @entity1 . The prevalence of any inhaler use in the past 12 months was 12% for undiagnosed frequent wheezers versus 78% for diagnosed @entity748 . The proportion of undiagnosed frequent wheezers with fair or poor self-rated health (23%) was slightly higher than diagnosed @entity748 (20%) and much higher than asymptomatic @entity1 (4%). CONCLUSIONS: In one of the largest adolescent @entity565 surveys ever reported in the United States, undiagnosed frequent wheezing was independently associated with female gender, current smoking, exposure to household smoke, low socioeconomic status, @entity566 , and African American, Native American, and Mexican American race/ethnicity. @entity1 with undiagnosed frequent wheezing were not receiving adequate health care for their @entity565 -like illness. Clinicians who treat adolescents should consider asking adolescents specifically about wheezing. This information may assist primary care physicians in identifying @entity1 with undiagnosed @entity565 in need of treatment.

Who gets diagnosed with @entity565 ? Frequent wheeze among adolescents with and without a diagnosis of XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['children', 'Children'] @entity565 :: ('MESH:D001249', 'Disease') :: ['asthma', 'Asthma'] @entity566 :: ('MESH:D006967', 'Disease') :: ['Allergies', 'allergies'] @entity748 :: ('MESH:D013224', 'Disease') :: ['asthmatics']
@entity565 :: (MESH:D001249,Disease) :: ['asthma']
