American Journal of Public Health, Vol 90, Issue 3 428-430, Copyright © 2000 by American Public Health Association

JOURNAL ARTICLE

The effects of race/ethnicity and income on early childhood asthma prevalence and health care use

JE Miller
Institute for Health, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-5070, USA. jem@rci.rutgers.edu

OBJECTIVES: Asthma is the most common chronic illness among US children and is most prevalent in low-income and minority groups. We used multivariate models to disentangle the effects of race/ethnicity, income, and other individual-level risk factors on asthma in a population-based sample of children aged 3 years. METHODS: Data are from the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey and 1991 Longitudinal Follow-Up. Odds ratios of asthma prevalence, hospitalization, and emergency room use were estimated, with control for socioeconomic characteristics, health behaviors, and insurance. RESULTS: Asthma prevalence, hospitalization, and emergency room use declined with increasing income for non-Black but not Black children. CONCLUSIONS: Lifetime income and sociodemographic characteristics do not explain the excess risks of asthma and emergency health care use for asthma among young Black children.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J.J. Cutuli, J. E. Herbers, M. Rinaldi, A. S. Masten, and C. N. Oberg Asthma and Behavior in Homeless 4- to 7-Year-Olds Pediatrics, January 1, 2010; 125(1): 145 - 151. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Subbarao, P. J. Mandhane, and M. R. Sears Asthma: epidemiology, etiology and risk factors Can. Med. Assoc. J., October 27, 2009; 181(9): E181 - E190. [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Lanier, M. Jonson-Reid, M. J. Stahlschmidt, B. Drake, and J. Constantino Child Maltreatment and Pediatric Health Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study of Low-income Children J. Pediatr. Psychol., October 1, 2009; (2009) jsp086v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Crocker, C. Brown, R. Moolenaar, J. Moorman, C. Bailey, D. Mannino, and F. Holguin Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Asthma Medication Usage and Health-Care Utilization: Data From the National Asthma Survey Chest, October 1, 2009; 136(4): 1063 - 1071. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Villamor, A. Iliadou, and S. Cnattingius Is the Association Between Low Birth Weight and Asthma Independent of Genetic and Shared Environmental Factors? Am. J. Epidemiol., June 1, 2009; 169(11): 1337 - 1343. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E Chen, G E Miller, H A Walker, J M Arevalo, C Y Sung, and S W Cole Genome-wide transcriptional profiling linked to social class in asthma Thorax, January 1, 2009; 64(1): 38 - 43. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. H. Chun, S. H. Weitzen, and G. K. Fritz The Asthma/Mental Health Nexus in a Population-Based Sample of the United States Chest, December 1, 2008; 134(6): 1176 - 1182. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Rosenbaum Racial/Ethnic Differences in Asthma Prevalence: The Role of Housing and Neighborhood Environments Journal of Health and Social Behavior, June 1, 2008; 49(2): 131 - 145. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. Panico, M. Bartley, M. Marmot, J. Y Nazroo, A. Sacker, and Y. J Kelly Ethnic variation in childhood asthma and wheezing illnesses: findings from the Millennium Cohort Study Int. J. Epidemiol., October 1, 2007; 36(5): 1093 - 1102. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Koinis-Mitchell, E. L. McQuaid, R. Seifer, S. J. Kopel, C. Esteban, G. Canino, C. Garcia-Coll, R. Klein, and G. K. Fritz Multiple Urban and Asthma-Related Risks and Their Association with Asthma Morbidity in Children J. Pediatr. Psychol., June 1, 2007; 32(5): 582 - 595. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. H. Boyd, E. A. Macklin, R. C. Strunk, and M. R. DeBaun Asthma is associated with acute chest syndrome and pain in children with sickle cell anemia Blood, November 1, 2006; 108(9): 2923 - 2927. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Nepomnyaschy and N. E. Reichman Low Birthweight and Asthma Among Young Urban Children Am J Public Health, September 1, 2006; 96(9): 1604 - 1610. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. McDaniel, C. Paxson, and J. Waldfogel Racial Disparities in Childhood Asthma in the United States: Evidence From the National Health Interview Survey, 1997 to 2003 Pediatrics, May 1, 2006; 117(5): e868 - e877. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Lara, L. Akinbami, G. Flores, and H. Morgenstern Heterogeneity of Childhood Asthma Among Hispanic Children: Puerto Rican Children Bear a Disproportionate Burden Pediatrics, January 1, 2006; 117(1): 43 - 53. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. E. Shields, C. Comstock, and K. B. Weiss Variations in Asthma Care by Race/Ethnicity Among Children Enrolled in a State Medicaid Program Pediatrics, March 1, 2004; 113(3): 496 - 504. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. M. Roberts Does Your Child Have Asthma?: Parent Reports and Medication Use for Pediatric Asthma Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, May 1, 2003; 157(5): 449 - 455. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. D. Boudreaux, S. D. Emond, S. Clark, and C. A. Camargo Jr Race/Ethnicity and Asthma Among Children Presenting to the Emergency Department: Differences in Disease Severity and Management Pediatrics, May 1, 2003; 111(5): e615 - 621. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R E Dales, B Choi, Y Chen, and M Tang Influence of family income on hospital visits for asthma among Canadian school children Thorax, June 1, 2002; 57(6): 513 - 517. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. A. Lieu, P. Lozano, J. A. Finkelstein, F. W. Chi, N. G. Jensvold, A. M. Capra, C. P. Quesenberry, J. V. Selby, and H. J. Farber Racial/Ethnic Variation in Asthma Status and Management Practices Among Children in Managed Medicaid Pediatrics, May 1, 2002; 109(5): 857 - 865. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Rodriguez, M. A. Winkleby, D. Ahn, J. Sundquist, and H. C. Kraemer Identification of Population Subgroups of Children and Adolescents With High Asthma Prevalence: Findings From the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, March 1, 2002; 156(3): 269 - 275. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. G. Druss, S. C. Marcus, M. Olfson, T. Tanielian, L. Elinson, and H. A. Pincus Comparing The National Economic Burden Of Five Chronic Conditions Health Aff., November 1, 2001; 20(6): 233 - 241. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. G. Ford, I. H. Meyer, P. Sternfels, S. E. Findley, D. E. McLean, J. K. Fagan, and L. Richardson Patterns and Predictors of Asthma-Related Emergency Department Use in Harlem Chest, October 1, 2001; 120(4): 1129 - 1135. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. E. Miller Predictors of Asthma in Young Children: Does Reporting Source Affect Our Conclusions? Am. J. Epidemiol., August 1, 2001; 154(3): 245 - 250. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. L. Lemanek, J. Kamps, and N. B. Chung Empirically Supported Treatments in Pediatric Psychology: Regimen Adherence J. Pediatr. Psychol., July 1, 2001; 26(5): 253 - 275. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]