Health Disparities
Pediatric asthma disparities, school absenteeism, and decreased physical activity among children in Central Texas Emily Hall* Emily Hall Khamron Micheals Sarah Chambliss Darlene Bhavnani Erin Rodriguez Susan Balcer-Whaley Elizabeth Matsui
Background
There are racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric asthma morbidity in the United States. The downstream effects of these disparities are not well understood. To fill this gap, we assessed racial and ethnic differences in asthma-related impacts on physical activity and school attendance among children with persistent asthma in Central Texas, a population with observed racial and ethnic disparities in asthma morbidity.
Methods
We described outcomes by race and ethnicity among children aged 5-17 years enrolled in the cross-sectional Texas Home Assessment of Asthma and Lung Exposures (TexHALE) Study. Data were collected using validated questionnaires.
Results
The majority of the 259 participants were Hispanic (N=145), followed by White (N=59), and Black (N=55). Black and Hispanic participants reported more asthma symptoms, with a mean (SD) of 6.0 (5.5) and 5.2 (5.2) maximum symptoms days respectively in the 2 weeks prior to interview, compared with 3.6 (4.4) days among White participants (p=0.03). 18% and 27% of Hispanic and Black children, respectively, reported missing school due to asthma in the prior 2 weeks vs. 13% of White children (p=0.20). Black and Hispanic children were almost twice as likely to limit physical activity due to asthma in the 2 weeks prior to interview. For example, 46% and 40% respectively reported limited participation in gym class due to asthma vs. 21% of White children (p=0.02). 40% of Black and 43% of Hispanic participants had to limit moderate physical activity because of asthma whereas 19% of White participants did (p=0.01).
Conclusions
Black and Hispanic children were more likely to experience asthma morbidity that impaired their daily activities than White children. Asthma-related reductions in physical activity and increased school absences could have detrimental impacts on health and educational attainment later in life. Further investigation will elucidate factors contributing to these disparities and subsequent impacts.