The effects of race/ethnicity and income on early childhood asthma prevalence and health care use

OBJECTIVES: Asthma is the most common chronic illness among US children and is most prevalent in low-income and minority groups. We used multivariate models to disentangle the effects of race/ethnicity, income, and other individual-level risk factors on asthma in a population-based sample of children aged 3 years. METHODS: Data are from the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey and 1991 Longitudinal Follow-Up. Odds ratios of asthma prevalence, hospitalization, and emergency room use were estimated, with control for socioeconomic characteristics, health behaviors, and insurance. RESULTS: Asthma prevalence, hospitalization, and emergency room use declined with increasing income for non-Black but not Black children. CONCLUSIONS: Lifetime income and sociodemographic characteristics do not explain the excess risks of asthma and emergency health care use for asthma among young Black children.