Flashback Friday.
A study by doctor Ruchi Gupta and colleagues mapped rates of asthma among children in Chicago, revealing that they are closely correlated with race and income. The overall U.S. rate of childhood asthma is about 10%, but evidence indicates that asthma is very unevenly distributed. Their visuals show that there are huge variations in the rates of childhood asthma among different neighborhoods:
The researchers looked at how the racial/ethnic composition of neighborhoods is associated with childhood asthma. They defined a neighborhood’s racial make-up by looking at those that were over 67% White, Black, or Hispanic. This graph shows the percent of such neighborhoods that fall into three categories of rates of asthma: low (less than 10% of children have asthma), medium (10-20% of children have it), and high (over 20% of kids are affected). While 95% of White neighborhoods have low or medium rates, 56% of Hispanic neighborhoods have medium or high rates. However, the really striking finding is for Black neighborhoods; 94% have medium or high prevalence. And the racial clustering is even more pronounced if we look only at the high category, where only a tiny proportion (6%) of White neighborhoods fall but nearly half of Black ones do…a nearly mirror image of what we see for the low category:
It’s hard to know exactly what causes higher rates of asthma in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods than in White ones. It could be differences in access to medical care. The researchers found that asthma rates are also higher in neighborhoods that have high rates of violence. Perhaps stress from living in neighborhoods with a lot of violence is leading to more asthma. The authors of the study suggest that parents might keep their children inside more to protect them from violence, leading to more exposure to second-hand smoke and other indoor pollutants (off-gassing from certain types of paints or construction materials, for instance).
Other studies suggest that poorer neighborhoods have worse outdoor environmental conditions, particularly exposure to industries that release toxic air pollutants or store toxic waste, which increase the risk of asthma. Having a parent with asthma increases the chances of having it as well, though the connection there is equally unsure–is there a genetic factor, or does it simply indicate that parents and children are likely to grow up in neighborhoods with similar conditions?
Regardless, it’s clear that some communities — often those with the fewest resources to deal with it — are bearing the brunt of whatever conditions cause childhood asthma.
Originally posted in 2010.
Gwen Sharp is an associate professor of sociology at Nevada State College. You can follow her on Twitter at @gwensharpnv.
Comments 55
Chenoa — May 5, 2010
I think I remember a lecture in one of my public health classes about a similar study in Oakland that correlated asthma in poor/black children with the fact that the poor/black neighborhoods are often near the highways and or rail yards.
No! Here it is - I read it in the local paper! I can't remember which bay area paper I read it in, but here's one article:
http://oaklandlocal.com/article/ports-diesel-pollution-stirs-west-oakland-protest
I remember being really surprised to actually see it in the paper because it specifically talked about race-related differences in health, and how it was related to neighborhood segregation and environmental exposures - the kind of things you don't usually hear about unless you're in the field.
niki — May 5, 2010
As a Health Officer at a summer camp, I was treating kids from all over the Bay Area, CA. Posh suburbanite tennis champs slept in the same bunks as foster kids on handfuls of psychotropics; it was super fascinating to watch friendships form.
The amount of *undiagnosed* illnesses in the African American or poor children was astounding- I basically had to explain to these kids what they're dealing with because they were never diagnosed. Absolutely heartbreaking, especially when the blond girl scout, in head-to-toe North Face gear, takes two puffs on her albuterol and gets back out to camp. If there was ever a place to witness the disparity, it's in a hundred camp kids who all live within an hour of each other.
Otogizoshi — May 5, 2010
I find it curious that there is no Asian or Native category. Is there not a large Asian population in Chicago? (This is a genuine question...)
I live in a small-ish community in Alberta, Canada that is downwind from a large industrial area. There is a very high rate of Asthma here, and traditionally, this area is fairly middle-class, upper middle class. (Traditionally). Also, it is predominantly white. This is a very interesting study, and I would like to see the correlation of wind patterns and industry location. Also, it would be good to see the correlation of how long these families have lived in areas (according to rates of diagnosis.)
Also, I don't quite follow the access to health care part. Regardless of access to health care (which is a MAJOR racial issue), Asthma does not go away with treatment. (I have it, too, since childhood).
I also wonder if they account for activities that these children may or may not have access to. Swimming, playing wind instruments, etc., can assist in overcoming Asthma in SOME cases. This could perhaps correlate to income level, or as is mentioned, housing prices according to proximity of industry/ air quality.
Hope this makes sense... just pointing some things out that I felt could have been included in this study.
lauren — May 5, 2010
Asthma rates are a huge disparity in health status, and across the country, follow class and racial differences. Community-based organziations such as Harlem Children's Zone Asthma Initiative, Communities for a Better Environment (East Oakland), THE Impact Project (LA), and Ditching Diesel are some good examples of communities who address asthma disparities in communities of color and low-income. Many studies suggest causation from air quality, and this is affected by proximity to major industrial zones, lack of buffer zones between industrial and neighborhood zones, diesel exhaust pollution, auto mechanic shops and the high unequal rates. What I think is most interesting is how these communities are addressing their air quality issues, by engaging community members and academic partners to conduct their own studies and collect their own data. While this doesn't always lead to policy change (though sometimes it does), it does empower communities, educate individuals about asthma and air quality, and leads to community organizing.
Luna — May 5, 2010
I wonder also if it has something to do with the availability of good food. Asthma is autoimmune, and autoimmune disorders can certainly be set off by lack of good nutrition, a problem that is rather systemic in poor areas.
fuzzy — May 5, 2010
Is parental tobacco use more prevalent in these areas?
In addition, I seem to recall that lack of treatment can increase severity by increasing tissue damage?
Bob Jones — May 5, 2010
This is a fine example of data manipulation. Notice how it talks about the data:
"While 94.5% of White neighborhoods have low or medium rates, 56.3% of Hispanic neighborhoods have medium or high rates. However, the really striking finding is for Black neighborhoods; 94.4% have medium or high prevalence."
For white people it talks about med and low rates but when talking about latinos and blacks the author uses medium and high rates.
Bob Jones — May 5, 2010
If you then switch whites to the medium and high rate comparison you then have whites at 59.8%. Which is a hell of alot different than 94% for medium and low rates. The 59.8% is more accurate comparison because it actually uses data from the same parts of the graph as is used for blacks and latinos.
Bob Jones — May 5, 2010
If you use compare medium and low rates among the neighborhoods it breaks down like this:
White neighborhoods 94.5%
Black neighborhoods 52.8%
Latino neighborhoods 81.3%
Which potraits this in a different light. It is still unacceptable but the data isn't being exaggerated or manipulated. Which of course, is dishonest on the part of the author. NPR should know better.
Haase — May 6, 2010
Sure air quality/Asthma is 'one' indicating factor, just scratching the surface...'chemical influence' often provides stronger links.
Have you tied this to EPA data to industrial, groundwater and local air pollution? The urban, ethic and low income 'data clusters' surround the areas of the 'most chemical influences' traditionally.
There are several strong studies of urban pollution links autism, yet simply overlaying a 'autism cluster over a EPA area pollution cluster' may make most sick to the stomach.
Example Study:
http://familymed.uthscsa.edu/news/PalmerAutismArticle.pdf
Checkout EPA EHCO & TRI (www.epa.gov/tri/ & www.epa-echo.gov/)
Also the EPA Region 5 toxicology staff are extremely versed and helpful with information and disseminating data noise.
Also, CARB has done excellent studies spanning decades on influences of pollution in urban areas. Making your 'social ties' to their data to make what you will of it should be easy ;-) www.arb.ca.gov
There are far to many chemicals that influence the explosion of autism and childhood aliments to continue to ignore the obvious.
The key isn't moving the people it is removing the influence.
naath — May 10, 2010
There was a study in the UK that showed clear correlation between asthma rates and a)major roads and b)airports + airport approaches. I would tend to assume that such areas would be poorer (because traffic/plane noises are not desirable features of a house). Anyone know how these factors plot onto those maps?
This in addition to poor health care and poor nutrition caused by poverty.
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Anny — December 14, 2015
"Asthma rates don’t seem to be highly clustered by education, but are highly correlated with overall neighborhood incomes"
I don't think correlation alone is the best way to interpret these data. The second graph shows relatively low asthma prevalence among higher income groups (~$70,000 and higher), but there's a lot of scatter in the lower income groups. Why does that variation occur?
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Thanks for sharing the report of the survey with us. According to the survey we can see asthma disease has been spread over many children in Chicago state. This is very serious and we must take care of those children who are suffering from this disease.
We also should find out the possible reasons for which this disease is being spread over the state rapidly. We must find out the reasons and should consult the physician to overcome the issue. We have to get rid of this issue otherwise it is going to be a big problem for children.
During childhood time, we were doing a lot of things. Apart from studies, we used to play with friends. We enjoyed every moment of our childhood time. We never complained of anything. Nowadays very few children are getting involved in outdoor games. Nowadays children like to play with gadgets like smartphone or tablets. Children keep on using the internet, sharing photos and videos online. They just keep on asking for their friend's Creative Wi-Fi Names and password. Due to the lack of adequate outdoor activity children are becoming too much unhealthy. Asthma is a very bad disease. Children get nervous in this disease and gradually they start losing their beautiful childhood time.
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