TY - JOUR
T1 - Ethnic differences in the prevalence of asthma in middle class children
AU - Nelson, Dorothy A.
AU - Johnson, Christine C.
AU - Divine, George W.
AU - Strauchman, Cathey
AU - Joseph, Christine L.M.
AU - Ownby, Dennis R.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by grants #AR41319 and #A124156-08 from the National Insti tutes of Health and grant #HS07386 from the Agency for Health Care Pol icy and Research (MedTEP).
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - Background: Studies have shown a higher prevalence of asthma among boys compared with girls and in blacks compared with whites, but it has been difficult to separate socioeconomic from racial effects because the blacks in the studied populations were more likely to have low socioeconomic status. Objective: To compare the prevalence of asthma in a socioeconomcically homogeneous, middle class, multiethnic population of schoolchildren. Methods: Based on a telephone survey of all families of third-graders in Southfield, Michigan, we ascertained the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma and probable undiagnosed asthma. One reason Southfield was chosen for study was because the city comprises an integrated middle class population with only 4% blacks and 7% whites having incomes below federal poverty limits. Results: The lifetime prevalence of asthma was 9.5% (12% for blacks and 6% for whites) and higher in boys (14%) than girls (5%), a pattern that was reflected in period prevalence estimates. The lifetime prevalence of probable undiagnosed asthma was greater in blacks (16.6%) than whites (10.8%), with little sex difference. Adjusting for sex and maternal education, the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma and probable asthma were associated independently with black ethnicity. Conclusions: Our study is unique in the similarity of the black and white families' socioeconomic status and residence in the same middle class community. Since access to medical care and macro-environmental conditions were similar across this study population, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that differences in biologic factors between blacks and whites and boys and girls play a role in asthma risk.
AB - Background: Studies have shown a higher prevalence of asthma among boys compared with girls and in blacks compared with whites, but it has been difficult to separate socioeconomic from racial effects because the blacks in the studied populations were more likely to have low socioeconomic status. Objective: To compare the prevalence of asthma in a socioeconomcically homogeneous, middle class, multiethnic population of schoolchildren. Methods: Based on a telephone survey of all families of third-graders in Southfield, Michigan, we ascertained the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma and probable undiagnosed asthma. One reason Southfield was chosen for study was because the city comprises an integrated middle class population with only 4% blacks and 7% whites having incomes below federal poverty limits. Results: The lifetime prevalence of asthma was 9.5% (12% for blacks and 6% for whites) and higher in boys (14%) than girls (5%), a pattern that was reflected in period prevalence estimates. The lifetime prevalence of probable undiagnosed asthma was greater in blacks (16.6%) than whites (10.8%), with little sex difference. Adjusting for sex and maternal education, the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma and probable asthma were associated independently with black ethnicity. Conclusions: Our study is unique in the similarity of the black and white families' socioeconomic status and residence in the same middle class community. Since access to medical care and macro-environmental conditions were similar across this study population, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that differences in biologic factors between blacks and whites and boys and girls play a role in asthma risk.
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U2 - 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)63365-0
DO - 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)63365-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 9012615
AN - SCOPUS:0031020375
SN - 1081-1206
VL - 78
SP - 21
EP - 26
JO - Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
JF - Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
IS - 1
ER -