What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine the sociodemographic and functional factors influencing asthma prevalence among U.S. children.

May 20, 2026

C25-10 Sociodemographic and Functional Determinants of Childhood Asthma Prevalence in the United States: Insights From National Health Statistics Data

Key Points

To examine the sociodemographic and functional factors influencing asthma prevalence among U.S. children.
Data analyzed from the National Center for Health Statistics Data Query System.
Examined responses from children aged 0-17 diagnosed with asthma.
Asthma prevalence was stratified by various sociodemographic factors including age, sex, race/ethnicity, and family structure.
Children aged 12-17 had the highest asthma prevalence (8.5%), significantly more than other age groups (p<0.05).
Asthma prevalence was higher in male children (7.2%) versus female children (5.7%, p<0.005).
Black children had the highest asthma rates at 11.3%, compared to other racial groups, with significant differences (p<0.05).

Abstract

Abstract Background Asthma remains one of the most prevalent chronic diseases among U.S. children, influenced by socioeconomic, racial, and environmental disparities. Understanding the demographic and social correlates of asthma prevalence can guide targeted public health interventions. Methods We analyzed data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Data Query System using responses to the question, “Does child’s name still have asthma?” among children aged 0-17 years who were ever diagnosed with asthma by a healthcare professional. Asthma prevalence was stratified by age, sex, race/ethnicity, disability status, family structure, parental education, employment, insurance type, functional difficulty, and poverty level. Results Children aged 12-17 had the highest asthma prevalence (8.5%) compared to ages 5-11 (7.3%) and 0-4 (2.4%, p 0.05). Male children had higher prevalence than females (7.2% vs 5.7%, p 0.005). Black children had the highest asthma rates (11.3%), followed by Hispanic (6.2%), White (5.6%), and Asian (3.3%, p 0.05). Children with disabilities (11.8%) and functional difficulties (9.4%) had nearly twice the prevalence of their counterparts (p 0.005). Higher prevalence was observed among children living with single parents (9.5%), those in households below the federal poverty line (8.6%), and those insured by Medicaid (8.0%) compared with privately insured peers (5.7%). Children from families with lower parental education and unemployment also had significantly higher asthma prevalence (p 0.05). Conclusion Childhood asthma disproportionately affects socioeconomically disadvantaged, minority, and functionally impaired populations. Addressing structural inequities, improving access to care, and enhancing environmental health interventions are essential to mitigate these disparities in pediatric asthma outcomes. This abstract is funded by: None

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Cite This Study

Tripathi et al. (Fri,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a0d4fbff03e14405aa9b2cf https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/ajrccm/aamag162.540

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