The Child Opportunity Index 2.0 and exacerbation‐prone asthma in a cohort of urban children

Abstract Rationale Social determinants of health underlie disparities in asthma. However, the effects of individual determinants likely interact, so a summary metric may better capture their impact. The Child Opportunity Index 2.0 (COI) is one such tool, yet its association with exacerbation‐prone (EP) asthma is unknown. Objective To investigate the association between the COI and EP asthma and clinical measures of asthma severity in children. Methods We analyzed data from two prospective observational pediatric asthma cohorts ( n = 193). Children were classified as EP (≥1 exacerbation in the past 12 months) or exacerbation‐null (no exacerbations in the past 5 years). Spirometry, exhaled nitric oxide, IgE, and Composite Asthma Severity Index (CASI) were obtained. The association between COI and EP status was assessed with logistic regression. We fit linear and logistic regression models to test the association between COI and each clinical measure. Results A 20‐point COI decrease conferred 40% higher odds of EP asthma (OR 1.4; 95%CI 1.1–1.76). The effect was similar when adjusted for age and sex (OR 1.38, 95%CI 1.1–1.75) but was attenuated with additional adjustment for race and ethnicity (OR 1.19, 95%CI 0.92–1.54). A similar effect was seen for the Social/Economic and Education COI domains but not the Health/Environment Domain. A 20‐point COI decrease was associated with an increase in CASI of 0.34. COI was not associated with other clinical measures. Conclusions Lower COI was associated with greater odds of EP asthma. This highlights the potential use of the COI to understand neighborhood‐level risk and identify community targets to reduce asthma disparities.