THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: A presentation of the theoretical underpinnings and conceptual model for the study is presented here to provide a framework for the discussion of the literature review. The Common Sense Model (CSM) of Illness Representation provides the theoretical framework for investigating the disparities in asthma control through the pathways of parental IR and the use of CAM and controller medications. The model describes a cognitive processing system that includes situational stimuli (perception of the child's symptoms), objective representation of the health threat (illness representation) with its treatment decisions (CAM and controller medication use) and appraisal of the outcomes (asthma control) for the success or failure of those treatment decisions. The model contains a feedback loop with IRs potentially changing over time as the parent gains experience with managing their child's asthma. The three tenets of this model are that the parent is an active problem solver; the IR is the central cognitive construct that drives the parents' treatment decision and appraisal of the outcomes; and IRs are individualized and may not be in agreement with medical facts. The processes of IR, treatment decision, and appraisal of outcomes are shaped by the parent's prior history managing their child's asthma, personality traits, and social and cultural contexts. The social and cultural contexts in which an individual lives play an important role in illness representations in two ways:"1) culture provides the labels for categorizing the events/symptoms that define illness and ensures culturally common views of a given disease or illness; and 2) culture provides social and personal contacts that the parent then uses in constructing the IR and also in developing the action plan for coping with the disease threat." Prior experience with their child's asthma management generates stored memories about the success or failure of the chosen treatment strategy, which can influence how the parent perceives the child's symptoms for the current episode and that treatment decision. There are five distinct attributes of illness representations: