State of Childhood Asthma, United States: 1980-2005

Report Released December 12, 2006http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/

06facts/asthma1980-2005.htm

Percentage of Children with Asthma

The percentage of childrenwho had asthma more than doubled between 1980 and 1995

3.6% 19807.5% 1995 

In 2001, CDC introduced a more precise measurement of asthma and the 5 years since then the trend has remained stable athistorically high levels (Currently approx. 9%).

Racial DisparitiesIn 2005, nearly 9% of children – 6.5 million children under age18 – were reported to currently have asthma.   Puerto Rican children were reported to have the highest percentage of asthma 19.2% followed by non-Hispanic black children 12.7%

Missed School DaysAccording to 2003 data, children with at least one asthma attack in theprevious year (nearly 4 million children) missed a cumulative of12.8 million school days due to asthma.

Emergency Department and Physician Office Visits

Asthma-related emergency department visits for children have remained fairly stable from ‘92 to ’04

9.76 visits/1,000 children in 1992 10.3 visits/1,000 children in 2004

Asthma-related visits to physician offices have increased sharply since the early 1990s

< 40 visits/1,000 children in 1990 89 visits/1,000 children in 2004

Death RatesAfter increasing steadily between ‘80 and ‘98, asthma death rates among children have for the most part declined since ‘99.  A change in the way causes of death were coded resulted in a sizable 1-year declinebetween 1998 and 1999.Since 1999, the asthma death rate for children has fallen

3.0 deaths/1,000,000 children in 19992.5 deaths/1,000,000 in 2004

States with Highest Percentages of Children with Asthma

Among the 37 states for which data were available the highest percentage of children with asthma were:

MassachusettsHawaiiOklahomaMarylandRhode Island

States with Lowest Percentages of Children with Asthma

Among the 37 states for which data were available the lowest percentage of children with asthma were:

UtahCalifornia

According to the 2003 CA Health Interview Study 9% of CA children suffered from an asthma attack or other asthma symptom in 2003)

IowaTennesseeWashington