Tag: minorities

UCLA California Asthma Study Connects Poverty and Asthma

Almost 5 million Californians have been diagnosed with asthma. On December 16, 2010, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research released the results of a study, which analyzed asthma in California. They found a significant relationship between poverty and asthma; residents living in poverty suffer more severe consequences from the condition than those in higher income brackets. They also found that asthma is increasing in the state of California: it has increased from 11.3% in 2001 to 13.0% in 2007. A summary of the findings are listed below.

Lost productivity:

In 2007, Californians missed an estimated 1.2 million days of work and 1.6 million days of school because of asthma. Income was a significant factor. Low-income sufferers missed an average of 2.2 days of work, compared with an average of 0.6 days of work missed by those with higher incomes. Low-income children missed twice as many days of school due to asthma as children from higher-income families.

Preventable urgent care:

Rates of emergency department visits for asthma were twice as high for low-income adults than they were for high-income adults (low-income: 18.8%; high-income: 8.8%). Low-income children also sought emergency treatment more frequently (low-income: 23.9%; high-income: 12.5%). Hospitalization rates were six times higher for low-income adults.

Health insurance:

Low-income Californians suffering from asthma were five times as likely to be uninsured (22.1%) as their counterparts with asthma earning twice as much (4.4%).

Los Angeles County has a lower than average rate:

In several counties, the prevalence of asthma among children and adults was lower than that of the state. San Francisco, Monterey, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Riverside counties had a significantly lower rate. The rates were significantly lower than the statewide prevalence of 8.3%. Significantly higher rates were found in the following counties: Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Contra Costa, Solano, Sacramento, Fresno, Kern, Merced, Madera, and San Bernardino. These counties have a higher number of low-income residents.