Current prevalence of asthma-related symptoms in San Diego's predominantly Hispanic inner-city children.
Ethnic minorities of low socioeconomic status are disproportionately represented in the trends of increasing asthma prevalence, morbidity, and mortality. We surveyed a cohort of 998 fourth-grade students in an impoverished area of southeast San Diego with a high percentage of Hispanic Mexican-Americans. Of the 654 Hispanic 9-12-year-olds, 14.4% were categorized as probable current asthma (within the past year), based on symptom of wheezing or physician diagnosis of asthma [with respiratory symptom(s) or medication]. An additional 13.5% had respiratory symptoms indicating possible asthma. Differences by ethnic group in the percentage of probable asthma or related symptoms were highly significant (p < 0.0001). Among Hispanics with a category of probable asthma, only 57.4% had a physician diagnosis versus 80.6% of black and 85.7% of white students. The frequency of health insurance coverage differed significantly between ethnic groups (p < 0.0001), with Hispanics among the lowest (37.2%).
Christiansen
S C
SC
Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Martin
S B
SB
Schleicher
N C
NC
Koziol
J A
JA
Mathews
K P
KP
Zuraw
B L
BL
D000041:Absenteeism; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D015995:Prevalence; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014504:Urban Health