N = 644

Blood Specimen Group (n=385)

Buccal smear group (n=259)

p-value

Age (years)

  4-<18

  18-38

 

73% (281)

27% (104)

 

77% (200)

23% (59)

0.22

Gender

  Male

  Female

 

57% (218)

43% (167)

 

55% (142)

45% (117)

0.65

No.dispensings of inhaled corticosteroids in 1 year

3

4

5

6

7+

 

 

25% (98)

24% (93)

17% (64)

11% (41)

23% (89)

 

 

27% (71)

26% (68)

15% (38)

9% (23)

23% (59)

0.85

Emergency Department Visits

0

1

2

3+

 

 

14% (54)

24% (91)

21% (81)

41% (159)

 

 

33% (85)

21% (54)

15% (38)

32% (82)

< 0.0001

Hospitalizations

0

1

2

 

98% (378)

2% (6)

0.3% (1)

 

99% (257)

0.8% (2)

0% (0)

0.48

In 208 subjects who completed telephone interview*

Race

  Caucasian

  Black

  Asian

  Other

 

63% (74)

19% (22)

7% (8)

11% (13)

 

75% (68)

12% (11)

8% (7)

5% (5)

0.43

Asthma Control

Good

Poor

 

23% (27)

77% (90)

 

32% (29)

68% (62)

0.16

*Note: Some subjects opted to complete the telephone interview even though they did not agree to provide a specimen.
Table 1: Demographics stratified by blood specimen versus buccal smear groups.