title: Asthma characteristics among older adults: using the California health interview survey to examine asthma incidence, morbidity and ethnic differences.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence, characteristics of asthma morbidity and care, and ethnic differences that exist in older adults with asthma in California.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). Characteristics of older adults (≥65 years) with and without asthma were compared using population-weighted estimates. Asthma-specific variables were compared among different ethnic groups. Multivariate analyses were preformed to determine factors associated with asthma status, asthma episodes/attacks, asthma symptom frequency and emergency department (ED) visits due to asthma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Asthma was present in 8.1% of older adults, among which, 67.3% reported taking medication daily for asthma. Asthma symptoms were experienced every day by almost 20%, with over 34% of seniors with asthma having symptoms at least once per week. Despite having a lower frequency of asthma symptoms, Hispanics were 5.31 times more likely to visit the ED due to asthma than were Caucasians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings from the study showed that older adults with asthma had difficulty with asthma control. We recommend a focus on asthma education so that when symptoms do occur, options are available to avoid costly ED visits. Further research should focus on specific asthma management skills and adherence to asthma treatment regimen among ethnic groups.
authors.affiliation: Program in Nursing Science, University of California , Irvine, CA , USA.
authors.forename: Jung-Ah
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Preston
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: L Reed
authors.forename: Jill P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Berg
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology*; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents