Asthma
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Headline

Asthma is more common among boys than it is among girls. In 2004, 7 percent of males under age 18 were reported to have asthma, compared with 4 percent of females. (See Figure 1)

Importance

Asthma is the most common chronic illness affecting children.¹ At least one-third of the 24.7 million people diagnosed with asthma are children under the age of 18.² Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under age 15 and leads to 14 million days of missed school each year.³ This condition can also negatively affect children's academic performance because of doctor's visits during school hours, lack of concentration while at school because of nighttime attacks, and decreased attentiveness or involvement at school because of the side effects of some medications.⁴

Common symptoms of asthma include coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and wheezing.⁵ While most cases of childhood asthma are mild or moderate, asthma can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening health risks when it is not controlled.⁶ The illness can be controlled by using medication and avoiding "attack triggers" like: cigarette smoke; allergens such as pollen, mold, animal dander, feathers, dust, food and cockroaches; respiratory infections and colds; and exposure to cold air or sudden temperature change.⁷ Some of these environmental factors, such as dampness and mold, cockroaches, and inadequate ventilation are more common in poor, urban settings.⁸ In addition, vigorous exercise can sometimes trigger asthma attacks, but most children with asthma can fully participate in physical activities if their condition is properly controlled.⁹ With the proper treatment and care, most children with asthma can have active and healthy childhoods.

Trends

The percentage of children with asthma has increased over the past two decades, from 3 percent in 1981 to 6 percent in 2002, where it remained through 2004.¹⁰ (See Table 1)

Differences by Gender

Asthma is more common among boys than it is among girls. In 2004, 7 percent of males under age 18 had asthma, compared with 4 percent of females. (See Figure 1)

Differences by Race and Ethnicity

Non-Hispanic black children are more likely than non-Hispanic white and Hispanic children to have asthma. Eight percent of non-Hispanic black children had asthma in 2004, compared with 5 percent of non-Hispanic white children and 4 percent of Hispanic children. (See Figure 2)

Differences by Usual Source of Health Care

Children with no usual source of health care are less likely than children with a regular source of health care to have asthma (4 percent versus 6 percent, respectively, in 2004). (See Table 1)

Differences by Type of Insurance Coverage

Children with public health insurance are more likely than other children to have asthma (7 percent versus 5 percent with private health insurance and 3 percent with no insurance in 2004). (See Figure 3)

Differences by Food Stamp Receipt

Asthma is more common among children living in families in which at least one person received food stamps in the past year. In 2004, 8 percent of children in food stamp-receiving families had asthma, compared with 5 percent of children in families that did not receive food stamps. (See Figure 4)

Related Indicators

Health Care Coverage, Children With Limitations

State and Local Estimates

State estimates for 2003 are available through the National Survey for Children's Health at http://www.nschdata.org/anonymous/dataquery/DataQuery.aspx?control=0 (Select Physical and Dental Health under Child Health Measures)

International Estimates

None Available

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National Goals

Through its Healthy People 2010 initiative, the federal government has set four national goals related to childhood asthma. They are: reducing the rate of deaths due to asthma among children and adolescents; reducing hospitalization rates for children and adolescents with asthma; reducing the rates of hospital emergency room visits due to asthma; and reducing the number of school days missed by children with asthma because of asthma.

More information is available at: http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/document/html/objectives/24-01.htm (See goals 24-1, 24-2, 24-3, 24-5)

What Works: Programs and Interventions that May Influence this Indicator

None available at this time.

Research References

¹"Asthma in Children Fact Sheet," June 2004. A publication of the American Lung Association. Available online at http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=34706&ct=67462

²Ibid.

³"Asthma's Impact on Children and Adolescents." National Center for Environmental Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved June 8, 2005, from the World Wide Web: http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/children.htm

⁴"Why Schools Should Be Concerned About Asthma," a publication by the Asthma and Schools website from the National Education Association's Health Information Network. Available online at http://www.asthmaandschools.org/essentials/2-why.htm

⁵"Tips to Remember: Childhood Asthma," a publication of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Available online at http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/childhoodasthma.stm

⁶"Asthma in Children Fact Sheet," American Lung Association (March 2002)

⁷Ibid.

⁸Krieger, James, Takaro, Tim K., Allen, Carol, Song, Lisa, Weaver, Marcia, Chai, Sanders, and Dickey, Philip. (2002). "The Seattle-King County Healthy Homes Project: Implementation of a Comprehensive Approach to Improving Indoor Environmental Quality for Low-Income Children with Asthma". Environmental Health Perspectives, 110 (Supplement 2):311-22. Available at: http://www.ehponline.org/members/2002/suppl-2/311-322krieger/EHP110s2p311PDF.PDF

⁹"Childhood Asthma: An Overview," March 2002. A publication of the American Lung Association, State of the Air 2002. Available online at http://www.lungusa.org/asthma/ascchildhoo.html

¹⁰Due to changes in the questions asked in the National Health Interview Survey, estimates for years prior to 1998 are not strictly comparable with estimates for later years. However, data for 1980-1996 show a substantial increase in the prevalence of asthma among children. For additional information, see Measuring Childhood Asthma Prevalence Before and After the 1997 Redesign of the National Health Interview Survey--United States, October 13, 2000. MMWR 49(40); 908-911. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4940a2.htm

¹¹Excerpt from Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2001. Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Table SPECIAL1

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Definition

"For all years, children were categorized as having asthma if the child ever had asthma (1981, 1988), or if they had ever been told by a health professional they had asthma (1998-2001), and if the child had an asthma attack in the past year. Because of these slight differences, data for 1998 and later years are not strictly comparable to previous years."¹¹ Estimates are based on a response from a parent or adult household member.

Data Source

Data from 1981, 1988, selected data from 1998: Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2001. Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Selected data from 1998, all data from 1999 through 2004: Child Trends original analysis of National Health Interview Survey data, 1998-2004

Raw Data Source

National Health Interview Survey, 1981-2004
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm

Approximate Date of Next Update

Winter 2006

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