New Report Shows Childhood Asthma to be a Significant Public Health Care Problem in the U.S.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence rates of childhood asthma are at historically high levels. The State of Childhood Asthma, United States, 1980-2005, published in Advance Data from Vital and Health Statistics, shows the significant burden of asthma through its prevalence, health care use, and mortality rates. In 2005, 8.9% of children had asthma and 5.2% had at least one asthma attack.  

Millions of children in the U.S. are affected by asthma, a chronic respiratory disease characterized by attacks of difficult breathing. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and chest pain. There is no single known cause of asthma, but a variety of triggers can lead to asthma symptoms or attacks. Triggers include allergens (e.g. pollen, dust mites, animal dander), infections, exercise, cold weather, and airway irritants (e.g. tobacco smoke). Asthma attacks vary in severity and can develop at all stages of life; however, asthma-related health care use is highest among young children.

From 1980 to 1996, asthma prevalence among children ages 0-17 more than doubled. Since 1997, asthma prevalence has leveled off at historically high levels. Despite this plateau, ambulatory care for asthma has continued to grow since 2000. This increase may be due to increasing disease severity or increased health care use to improve asthma control.

Racial disparities in childhood asthma are extensive. Puerto Rican children have the highest prevalence, 140% higher than non-Hispanic white children. Black children have the highest rates of emergency room visits, hospitalization, and death. Disparities in access to health care may contribute to these observed disparities. The racial disparities in adverse outcomes are significantly greater than those in asthma prevalence rates.

Asthma places a huge burden on affected children and their families:

  • The disease often limits children’s abilities to learn, play, and sleep,
  • Interventions and treatment are expensive and can be complex, and
  • Indirect costs, such as days absent from school, are high.

According to the CDC’s Addressing Asthma in Schools (2004), some strategies schools can use to make schools asthma-friendly include:

  • Establish management and support systems for students with asthma,
  • Provide appropriate school health and mental services for students with asthma,
  • Provide asthma education for all students and staff,
  • Provide a safe and health environment to reduce asthma triggers,
  • Provide safe physical education activities for students with asthma, and
  • Help coordinate asthma care with families and the community to better manage asthma symptoms and reduce school absences among asthmatic students.

For additional information, please contact:

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Health Statistics

3311 Toledo Road

Hyattsville, MD 20782

1-866-441-NCHS

nchsquery@cdc.gov

 

Sources: The State of Childhood Asthma, United States, 1980-2005, National Center for Health Statistics, September 2006 and Addressing Asthma in Schools, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 2004.


 

 
 
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