Asthma and Hispanic Americans

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In 2018, 2.3 million Hispanics reported that they currently have asthma.
Puerto Rican Americans had twice the asthma rate as compared to the overall Hispanic population, in 2018.
Hispanics are twice as likely to visit the emergency department for asthma, as compared to non-Hispanic whites.
Puerto Rican children are three times as likely to have asthma, as compared to non-Hispanic whites.
Hispanic children are 40 percent more likely to die from asthma, as compared to non-Hispanic whites.
While all of the causes of asthma remain unclear, children exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke exposure are at increased risk for acute lower respiratory tract infections, such as bronchitis. Children living below or near the poverty level are more likely to have high levels of blood cotinine, a breakdown product of nicotine, than children living in higher income families.¹

Diagnosed

Current asthma prevalence percentage, adults ages 18 and over, 2018
	Population	Non-Hispanic White	Population / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
All Hispanic	6.4	7.6	0.8
Puerto Rican	14.9	7.6	2.0
Mexican	5.3	7.6	0.7

Source: CDC 2021. National Health Interview Survey Data 2018. Table 4-1.
https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/nhis/2018/table4-1.htm

Percentage of asthma among persons 18 years of ages and over, ever being told they had asthma, 2018
	Hispanic	Non-Hispanic White	Hispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Men	9.6	12.2	0.8
Women	13.2	16.2	0.8
Both Sexes	11.5	14.2	0.8

Source: CDC 2021. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-2a.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/shs/tables.htm

Percentage of adults ages 18 years and over who currently have asthma, 2018
	Hispanic	Non-Hispanic White	Hispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Men	3.4	5.9	0.6
Women	8.5	10.0	0.9
Both Sexes	6.0	8.0	0.8

Source: CDC 2021. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-2a.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/shs/tables.htm

Death Rate

Deaths per 100,000, with asthma as the underlying cause, National Vital Statistics System, 2019
Hispanic	Non-Hispanic White	Hispanic /Non-Hispanic White Ratio
0.8	0.8	1.0

Source: CDC 2021. CDC WONDER Online Database.
https://wonder.cdc.gov/ [Accessed 01/21/2021]

Rate of asthma deaths per 100,000 population, 2003
	Population	Non-Hispanic White	Population / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Total Hispanic	1.3	1.1	1.2
Puerto Rican	4.4	1.1	4.0
Mexican	0.8	1.1	0.7

* Source: CDC 2006. Health E-Stats. Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use and Mortality: United States, 2003-05. Figure 7.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/asthma03-05/asthma03-05.htm

Treatment:

Estimated rate of emergency department visits with asthma as the first listed diagnosis per 10,000 population, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2009
Hispanic	White	Hispanic / White Ratio
13.3	6.4	2.1

* Source: CDC 2012. National Surveillance for Asthma - United States, 2001-2010. Table 14
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_03/sr03_035.pdf [PDF | 910.46KB]

Hospital admissions rate per 100,000 for asthma, adults ages 18 to over 39, 2017
Hispanic	Non-Hispanic White	Hispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
24.8	23.6	1.1

Source: National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query: Table 5_4_1_7_1.1 [Accessed 01/21/2021] http://nhqrnet.ahrq.gov/inhqrdr/data/query

Percentage of people with current asthma who are taking preventive medicine daily or almost daily, 2016
Hispanic	Non-Hispanic White	Hispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
22.0	22.9	1.0

Source: National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query: Table 6_9_3_1_1.1 [Accessed 01/21/2021] http://nhqrnet.ahrq.gov/inhqrdr/data/query

Children

Age-adjusted percentages for children under 18 years of age, ever being told they had asthma, 2018
	Population	Non-Hispanic White	Population / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Hispanic	12.5	9.4	1.3
Mexican	11.5	9.4	1.2

Source: CDC 2021. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table C-1a.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/shs/tables.htm

Age-adjusted percentages for children under 18 years of age, who currently have asthma, 2018
	Population	Non-Hispanic White	Population / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Hispanic	8.0	5.6	1.4
Mexican	7.0	5.6	1.3

Source: CDC 2021. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table C-1a.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/shs/tables.htm

Current asthma prevalence percentage, children ages 18 and under, 2018
	Hispanic	Non-Hispanic White	Hispanic/ Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Boys	8.2	6.2	1.3
Girls	7.8	5.0	1.6
Both Sexes	8.0	5.6	1.4

Source: CDC 2021. National Health Interview Survey Data 2018. Table 4-1.
https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/nhis/2018/table4-1.htm

Current asthma prevalence percentage, children ages 18 and under, 2018
	Population	Non-Hispanic White	Population / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Hispanic	8.0	5.6	1.4
Puerto Rican	17.0	5.6	3.0
Mexican	6.9	5.6	1.2

Source: CDC 2021. National Health Interview Survey Data 2018. Table 4-1.
https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/nhis/2018/table4-1.htm

Hospital admissions rate for asthma, children ages 2-17, United States, 2017
Hispanic	Non-Hispanic White	Hispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
76.3	41.9	1.8

Source: National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query: Table 5_4_1_7_1.1 [Accessed 01/21/2021] http://nhqrnet.ahrq.gov/inhqrdr/data/query

Death rates for children 0–17 years of age, 2003-2005 (deaths per 1,000,000)
Hispanic	Non-Hispanic White	Hispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
1.8	1.3	1.4

* Source: CDC 2006. The State of Childhood Asthma, United States, 1980–2005. Table B.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ad/ad381.pdf [PDF | 365KB]

The proportional impact of asthma prevalence percentage, health care use and mortality among children 0–17 years of age, by race and ethnicity, 2003–2004
	Hispanic	Non-Hispanic White	Hispanic / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Current prevalence (2004-2005)	90	92	1.0
Emergency department visit rate	109	66	1.7
Death rate	69	50	1.4

¹ Source: CDC 2006. The State of Childhood Asthma, United States, 1980–2005. Table VIII.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ad/ad381.pdf [PDF | 365KB]
* NOTE: This is the most recent national data which is available at this time.

Last Modified: 2/11/2021 11:19:00 AM

Office of Minority Health