Epidemiology of asthma

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Rates of asthma rates in 2017 Asthma prevalence, OWID.svg
Rates of asthma rates in 2017

As of 2011, approximately 235 million people worldwide were affected by asthma, [2] and roughly 250,000 people die per year from asthma-related causes. [3] Low and middle income countries make up more than 80% of the mortality. [4] Prevalences vary between countries from 1% to 18%. [3] Asthma tends to be more prevalent in developed than in developing countries. [3] Rates are lower in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa. [5] Within developed countries it is more common among those who are economically disadvantaged, but in contrast in developing countries it is more common amongst the affluent. [3] [6] The reason for these differences is not well known. [3]

Contents

While asthma is twice as common in boys as in girls, [3] severe asthma occurs at equal rates. [7] Among adults, however, asthma is twice as common in women as in men. [7] [8]

Increasing frequency

The prevalence of childhood asthma in the United States has increased since 1980, especially in younger children. Asthma prevalence.png
The prevalence of childhood asthma in the United States has increased since 1980, especially in younger children.

Rates of asthma have increased significantly between the 1960s and 2008 [9] [10] with it being recognized as a major public health problem since the 1970s. [5] Some 9% of US children had asthma in 2001, compared with just 3.6% in 1980. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that some 10% of the Swiss population have asthma as of 2007, compared with 2% some 25–30 years ago. [11] In the United States the age-adjusted prevalence of asthma increased from 7.3 to 8.2 percent during the years 2001 through 2009. [12]

Region specific data

United States

Asthma affects approximately 7% of the population of the United States and causes approximately 4,210 deaths per year. [13] [14] [15] In 2005, asthma affected more than 22 million people, including 6 million children, and accounted for nearly 500,000 hospitalizations that same year. [16] In 2010, asthma accounted for more than one-quarter of admitted emergency department visits in the U.S. among children aged 1–9 years, and it was a frequent diagnosis among children aged 10–17 years. [17] From 2000 through 2010, the rate of pediatric hospital stays for asthma declined from 165 to 130 per 100,000 population, respectively, whereas the rate for adults remained about 119 per 100,000 population. [18]

Asthma prevalence in the U.S. is higher than in most other countries in the world, but varies drastically between ethnic populations. [19] Asthma prevalence is highest in Puerto Ricans, Latino, African Americans, Filipinos, Irish Americans, and Native Hawaiians, and lowest in Mexicans and Koreans. [20] [21] [22] [23] Rates of asthma-related hospital admissions in 2010 were more than three times higher among African American children and two times higher for African American and Latino adults compared with White and Asian and Pacific Islander people. [18] [23] Also, children who are born in low-income families have higher risk of asthma. [24]

Asthma prevalence also differs between populations of the same ethnicity who are born and live in different places. [25] U.S.-born Mexican populations, for example, have higher asthma rates than non-U.S. born Mexican populations that are living in the U.S. [26]

United Kingdom

Asthma affects approximately 5% of the United Kingdom's population. [27] In England, an estimated 261,400 people were newly diagnosed with asthma in 2005; 5.7 million people had an asthma diagnosis and were prescribed 32.6 million asthma-related prescriptions. [28]

Canada

Data depicts an increasing trend in asthma prevalence among Canada's population. In 2000-2001 asthma prevalence was monitored at 6.5%; by 2010-2011 a 4.3% increase was shown, with asthma prevalence totaling 10.8% of Canada's population. [29]

Furthermore, asthma prevalence varies among the provinces of Canada; the highest prevalence is Ontario at 12.1%, and the lowest is Nunavut at 3.8%. [29] Though there is an overall decrease in the incidence of new asthma cases in Canada, prevalence is rising. This can be attributed to a decrease in case-specific mortality due to improved management and control of asthma and its symptoms.

Latin and Central America

It is approximated that 40 million Latin Americans live with asthma. [30]

In some reports, urban residency within Latin America has been found to be associated with an increased prevalence of asthma. [30] Childhood asthma prevalence was found to be higher than 15 percent in a majority of Latin American countries. [31] Similarly, a study published relating to asthma prevalence in Havana, Cuba estimated that approximately 9 percent of children under the age of 15 are undiagnosed for asthma, possible due to lack of resources in the region. [30]

Japan

The prevalence of asthma in adults in Japan is rapidly increasing, however there is a significant difference for the children in Japan. The mean prevalence of asthma in Japan has increased from about 1% to 10% or higher in children and to about 6–10% in adults since the 1960s. [32] There has been a 1.5 fold increase in the prevalence of asthma per decade in Japan from the 1960s. [32] Three surveys done from 1985, 1999 and 2006 show adult asthma is increasing, while the same surveys indicate that the prevalence of asthma in children is decreasing. [33] To compare this to another Asia-Pacific country the estimated prevalence of asthma in male and female children in Mongolia in a 2009 ISSAC study was 20.9% and 21.0% [34]

Asia

Data regarding the epidemiology of asthma in the continent of Asia as whole is scarce, particularly regarding adult populations. However, similarly to much of the rest of the globe, prevalence of childhood asthma appears to be rising. Systematic childhood studies, such as the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), provide data regarding the epidemiology of asthma among Asia's youth population. Asthma prevalence among Asia's adult population is less clear in comparison due to the comparatively higher monitoring of younger populations. However, the data available points to a positive correlation between age and asthma prevalence. Findings indicate that the prevalence of asthma among the Asian adult population is less than 5%; while findings pertaining to elderly populations illustrate a rate somewhere between 1.3 and 15.3%. [35]

International migration

In a review of studies on the prevalence of asthma among migrant populations, those born in high-income countries were found to have higher rates of asthma than migrants. Second-generation migrants had a higher risk of asthma than first-generation migrants, and the prevalence of asthma increases with longer time of residence in the host country. [36] This confirms the role of the environment in the development of asthma.[ citation needed ]

Regional differences

A survey was conducted by the ISSAC Steering Committee from 1992 to 1993 in adults aged 22 to 44, comparing the prevalence of asthma in 10 developed countries. The population differences between these countries should be noted.[ why? ] The United States population in 1992 was 256.9 million, 14.5 times that of Australia (17.5 million), and 4.5 times that of the United Kingdom (57.51 million). [37] [38] [39] However, Australia and the UK have a higher prevalence than the US by 2.4 times on the lower end and 4.6 times on the higher end. In another study taken in 1992 for Japan the prevalence of asthma in Japan was 13% [40] with a population of 124.2 million. [41]

Country/groupYearsAge
group
Prevalence
(%)
Japan0520–448.1
Australia92–9320–4428.1
Australian Aboriginal90–9120–8411.1
UK
[ clarification needed ]
92–9320–44
20–44
27.0
30.3
Germany92–9320–4417.0
Spain92–9320–4422.0
France92–9320–4414.4
USA92–9320–4425.7
Italy92–9320–449.5
Iceland92–9320–4418.0
Greece92–9320–4416.0

Social determinants

Disparities in the prevalence of asthma have been shown between different socioeconomic statuses. [42] In the United States, socioeconomic status is associated with race, due to population trends, Black and Hispanic populations are more likely to have asthma, due to higher concentrations in low-income areas. In other areas of the world, the same trend that lower socioeconomic status is related to higher severity of asthma symptoms. Airway reactivity and symptoms for children of low socioeconomic status in Canada tend to be higher than those of higher-income areas. [42] The contrast between residents of rural and suburban areas can be seen in a study of Kenya [43] and Ethiopia, [44] where prevalence of asthma is lower in rural areas, and higher in urban areas. A similar trend can be seen in the United States, where an urban-rural gradient shows the increase in the prevalence of asthma closer to the inner city. [45]

A study published by BMC Pulmonary Medicine shows the relation between those who live in large urban, small urban, and rural areas. Large urban can be classified as the inner-city, and small urban is related to suburban areas. The inner city and rural communities have several commonalities that are important when determining socioeconomic status. They are both more likely to have higher poverty rates, and higher mortality rates, thus having a lower health status than suburban residents. [46] It was found that asthma prevalence in large urban areas was 20.9%, small urban was 21.5%, and rural was 15.1%. However, it is important to acknowledge that rural residents experienced more asthma-like symptoms (wheezing, whistling, and coughing) than those in urban areas, rural residents had 5% more asthma like symptoms. [45] Also, residents in large urban areas were less likely to use medical services for asthma symptoms. [45]

Multiple factors contribute to socioeconomic disparities, income and education, pollutant exposures and allergens are uncontrollable influences on an individual. Stressors related to neighborhood violence and safety, behavioral risk factors, and lack of access to adequate medications and healthcare also contribute to an increased prevalence of asthma. Low income alone accounts for a significant increase in poor asthma outcomes, including severity, lung function, and morbidity rates. [47]

Secondhand smoke is a common exposure for asthmatic children in low-income households. Children who live with at least one smoker are more likely to have asthma than those who don't. [48] People living below the poverty line and with less education have a higher second-hand smoke exposure than those who do not. [49] Also, those with blue-collar jobs are more likely to be exposed at work, as well as those with service jobs (servers and bartenders) are exposed to smoke at businesses that do not have smoking restrictions.

Gender

Globally, there are 136 million women with asthma, 57% of the 235 million people living with asthma. In addition to being more common among women, women experience more severe symptoms and are more likely to die from asthma. [50] The severity and frequency of asthma complications is related to both gender and age. Although asthma is more prevalent and more severe in boys among children, many women experience a significant worsening of symptoms around and after puberty. [51] The timing of the change in prevalence and severity around puberty suggest that asthma pathogenesis is related to sex hormones or hormone levels.[ citation needed ]

Between 2014-15 and 2019-20 more than 5,100 women in the United Kingdom died from an asthma attack compared with fewer than 2,300 men. Based on emergency hospital admissions in England, among all admissions 20 to 49 years old, women were 2.5 times more likely to be admitted to hospital for asthma treatment compared with men.[ citation needed ]

Notes

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Diseases of poverty are diseases that are more prevalent in low-income populations. They include infectious diseases, as well as diseases related to malnutrition and poor health behaviour. Poverty is one of the major social determinants of health. The World Health Report (2002) states that diseases of poverty account for 45% of the disease burden in the countries with high poverty rate which are preventable or treatable with existing interventions. Diseases of poverty are often co-morbid and ubiquitous with malnutrition. Poverty increases the chances of having these diseases as the deprivation of shelter, safe drinking water, nutritious food, sanitation, and access to health services contributes towards poor health behaviour. At the same time, these diseases act as a barrier for economic growth to affected people and families caring for them which in turn results into increased poverty in the community. These diseases produced in part by poverty are in contrast to diseases of affluence, which are diseases thought to be a result of increasing wealth in a society.

The epidemiology of autism is the study of the incidence and distribution of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A 2022 systematic review of global prevalence of autism spectrum disorders found a median prevalence of 1% in children in studies published from 2012 to 2021, with a trend of increasing prevalence over time. However, the study's 1% figure may reflect an underestimate of prevalence in low- and middle-income countries.

Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is a pathology affecting the vocal folds characterized by full or partial vocal fold closure causing difficulty and distress during respiration, especially during inhalation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epidemiology of obesity</span> Recognition of obesity as an epidemic

Obesity has been observed throughout human history. Many early depictions of the human form in art and sculpture appear obese. However, it was not until the 20th century that obesity became common — so much so that, in 1997, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally recognized obesity as a global epidemic and estimated that the worldwide prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2, and in June 2013 the American Medical Association classified it as a disease.

Prevalence of childhood obesity has increased worldwide. The world health organization (WHO) estimated that 39 million children younger than 5 years of age were overweight or had obesity in 2020, and that 340 million children between 5 and 19 were overweight or had obesity in 2016. If the trend continues at the same rate as seen after the year 2000, it could have been expected that there would be more children with obesity than moderate or severe undernutrition in 2022. However, the Covid-19 pandemic will most likely effect the prevalence of undernutrition and obesity

Childhood chronic illness refers to conditions in pediatric patients that are usually prolonged in duration, do not resolve on their own, and are associated with impairment or disability. The duration required for an illness to be defined as chronic is generally greater than 12 months, but this can vary, and some organizations define it by limitation of function rather than a length of time. Regardless of the exact length of duration, these types of conditions are different than acute, or short-lived, illnesses which resolve or can be cured. There are many definitions for what counts as a chronic condition. However, children with chronic illnesses will typically experience at least one of the following: limitation of functions relative to their age, disfigurement, dependency on medical technologies or medications, increased medical attention, and a need for modified educational arrangements.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulty focusing attention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. Treatments generally involve behavioral therapy and/or medications. ADHD is estimated to affect about 6 to 7 percent of people aged 18 and under when diagnosed via the DSM-IV criteria. When diagnosed via the ICD-10 criteria, hyperkinetic disorder gives rates between 1 and 2 percent in this age group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obesity in Indonesia</span> Overview of obesity in Indonesia

According to the World Health Organization (2015), the "worldwide population of overweight and obese adults increased between 1980 and 2013 from 30 percent to 38 percent in women, and 29 percent to 37 percent in men". The prevalence of obesity continues to rise in all age groups in this developing country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shellfish allergy</span> Type of food allergy caused by shellfish

Shellfish allergy is among the most common food allergies. "Shellfish" is a colloquial and fisheries term for aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs such as clams, mussels, oysters and scallops, crustaceans such as shrimp, lobsters and crabs, and cephalopods such as squid and octopus. Shellfish allergy is an immune hypersensitivity to proteins found in shellfish. Symptoms can be either rapid or gradual in onset. The latter can take hours to days to appear. The former may include anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening condition which requires treatment with epinephrine. Other presentations may include atopic dermatitis or inflammation of the esophagus. Shellfish is one of the eight common food allergens, responsible for 90% of allergic reactions to foods: cow's milk, eggs, wheat, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and soy beans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sesame allergy</span> Food allergy caused by sesame seeds

A food allergy to sesame seeds has prevalence estimates in the range of 0.1–0.2% of the general population, and are higher in the Middle East and other countries where sesame seeds are used in traditional foods. Reporting of sesame seed allergy has increased in the 21st century, either due to a true increase from exposure to more sesame foods or due to an increase in awareness. Increasing sesame allergy rates have induced more countries to regulate food labels to identify sesame ingredients in products and the potential for allergy. In the United States, sesame became the ninth food allergen with mandatory labeling, effective 1 January 2023.

The gap in socioeconomic status between racial groups in South Africa has been a key contributor to health disparities, with White South Africans, a minority group, having overall better health outcomes than majority Black South Africans. White South Africans, a minority group, have overall better access and health outcomes than other racial groups in South Africa. Black and Colored South Africans, have poorer overall health outcomes and are disproportionately unable to access the private healthcare system in South Africa.