Childhood asthma rates are leveling off, but disparities remain

A two-decade trend of increases in prevalence among children may be ending, but more data to confirm the encouraging changes are needed.

By Stephanie Stapleton, AMNews staff. Aug. 26, 2002.

Washington -- Is childhood asthma prevalence plateauing?

Experts wonder whether a recent analysis of the illness' trends may signal changes in the disease's burden. But significant questions persist, making it too soon to know for sure.

According to a study appearing in the August issue of Pediatrics, asthma prevalence increased an average of 4.3% per year between 1980 and 1996. The number appeared to peak with a 7.5% increase in 1995. From 1997 to 2000, asthma attack prevalence statistics leveled off.

But this doesn't alter the real problem of childhood asthma.

"There is still more asthma than we can possibly take care of," said Robert Wood, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

But the analysis, which was led by Lara J. Akinbami, MD, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, is being viewed as encouraging.

"Data suggest that the burden for childhood asthma may have recently plateaued ... although additional years of data collection are necessary to confirm a change in trend," wrote Dr. Akinbami and colleagues. However, "racial and ethnic disparities remain large for asthma health care utilization and mortality."

The study, based on five national data sources, produced a comprehensive description of trends in childhood asthma prevalence, health care utilization, and mortality in the United States.

Among the numbers: Asthma office visits increased by an average of 3.8% each year from 1980 to 1999. Hospitalization increased 1.4% each year during this period. Deaths increased 3.4% per year from 1980 to 1998. [...]