Asthma Disparities

Why is it important to focus on asthma disparities? 

Nationally, children, communities of color, and poorer communities bear the major brunt of health disparities such as diabetes, HIV, heart disease, and asthma.[1]  These groups not only have a higher prevalence of asthma but also have increased rates of hospitalizations, deaths, and emergency room usage.

California Statistics

Over five million Californians have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lives, and almost three million currently have asthma. The majority of adults with asthma have mild symptoms, but about one in four have symptoms that are moderate or severe. About a third of children with asthma had an attack in the past year.[2]  In almost all measures of asthma burden, there are large disparities by race/ethnicity, income, age, gender, and geographic location. Blacks have especially disproportionate rates of ED visits, hospitalizations, and mortality.  Although people of all incomes have a similar prevalence of asthma, people with lower incomes have more severe symptoms, higher rates of hospitalizations, and are more likely to have repeat hospitalizations.1  It is still not clear why low-income communities and communities of color experience these disparities in asthma prevalence, hospitalizations, and deaths. Some explanations include: increased exposure to environmental triggers, poor access to health care, and differences in asthma medication prescriptions.

California Breathing’s Role in Addressing Asthma Disparities

California Breathing has always been devoted to reducing asthma disparities among California’s low income and minority communities.  Our disparities activities include a grants program and linking asthma to other health disparities issues.  To learn more about California Breathing’s projects and initiatives, click on the bar to the right.