Asthma Awareness Month

Event Planning Kit

Asthma Facts

T Asthma is a rapidly growing public health problem.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention:

~	22 million people, including 6.5 million children,
have asthma.

~	Asthma prevalence is higher among families with
lower incomes.

~	12 million people report having an asthma attack in
the past year.

~	Asthma accounts for nearly 15 million outpatient
clinic visits, and nearly 2 million emergency
department visits each year.

T African Americans continue to have higher
rates of asthma emergency department visits,
hospitalizations, and deaths than do Caucasians:

~	The rate of emergency department visits is 350%
higher.

~	The hospitalization rate is 240% higher.

~	The asthma death rate is 200% higher.

T Approximately 2 million Hispanics in the U.S. have
asthma and Puerto Ricans are disproportionately
impacted:

~	The rate of asthma among Puerto Ricans is 125%
higher than non-Hispanic white people and

80% higher than non-Hispanic black people.

~	The prevalence of asthma attacks is highest among
Puerto Ricans.

~	The asthma death rate is 200% higher.

T Asthma in Children

~	Asthma is the most common serious chronic disease
of childhood.

~	Asthma is the third-ranking cause of hospitalization
among children under 15.

~	Asthma accounts for one-third of all pediatric
emergency room visits and is the fourth-most
common cause of pediatric visits to the doctor's
office.

~	An average of one out of every 13 school-aged
children has asthma.

~	13 million school days are missed each year due to
asthma.

T The Cost of Asthma

Annual expenditures for health and lost productivity due

to asthma are estimated at $16 billion, according to the

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

T Research by EPA and other groups has shown that:

Dust mites, molds, cockroaches, pet dander, and

secondhand smoke trigger asthma attacks.



Online Asthma Resources

T	EPA's Asthma Program: www.epa.gov/asthma

T	CDC's Asthma Program: www.cdc.gov/asthma

T	EPA's PSA Campaign, No Attacks: www.noattacks.oig

T	Communities in Action for Asthma-Friendly Environments Online Network: www, asthmacommunitvnetwork. org

T	National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/naepp/index.htm

-------