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 ------- |