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Resources — Asthma Statistics

Asthma in California: A surveillance Report

 

This report presents a comprehensive picture of the burden of asthma in the state, compiling all available asthma surveillance data into a single source.

 

Included in the Report

 

  • Asthma rates over time and by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and other characteristics

 

  • Comparisons of California’s rates to national goals

 

  • Data on asthma prevalence, morbidity, health care utilization, and quality

 

  • Special sections on environmental risk factors and work-related asthma

Key Statistics

 

  • In California (2011-2012), 1.1 million school-aged children (5-17) have been diagnosed with asthma, or 17.1% (more than 1 in 6). Of those, 767,000 have active asthma (they report they still have asthma or had an attack in the last year) — that translates to 11.6% of all school-aged children in California (or 1 in 10).

 

  • There are an estimated 96,550 new cases of asthma among children age 0-17 per year in California.

 

  • In children, asthma prevalence is about 30% higher for males than females.

 

  • In children, asthma prevalence is about 60% higher for Blacks than Whites.

 

  • In 2012, there were over 44,000 asthma ED visits and over 5,000 asthma hospitalizations among children age 5-17 in California. Among this age group, rates of asthma ED visits and hospitalizations are 5x higher for Blacks than for Whites.

 

  • The number of asthma ED visits among children decreases in summer months and increases in the fall.

 

  • School absences — we should include this, but we have choices about what to do, so we should talk about it

 

  • Among school-aged children (5-17) with current asthma, 62% have well-controlled asthma (38% have not well or very poorly controlled asthma).

 

KidsData.org

 

This website allows users to easily find, customize, and use data on more than 500 measures of child health and well being. Data are available for every county, city, school district, and legislative district in California.

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