Risk Factors
Asthma affects about 7 million American children. Asthma has dramatically increased worldwide over the last few decades, in both developed and developing countries. Asthma is the most common chronic childhood illness. About half of all cases of asthma develop before the age of 10, and about 80% of patients develop symptoms before they are 5 years old.
Gender
Among younger children, asthma develops twice as frequently in boys as in girls, but after puberty it is more common in girls.
Race and Ethnicity
African-American children have significantly higher rates of asthma than Caucasian children. Hispanic children are also at higher risk. Both groups of minority children are more likely to have fatal asthma than Caucasian children. Ethnicity and genetics, however, are less likely to play a role in these differences than socioeconomic differences, such as having less access to optimal health care and a greater likelihood of living in an urban area. Caucasian children who live in cities also face a high risk for asthma.
Issues Surrounding Birth
A variety of pregnancy and perinatal factors have been associated with risk for asthma, although none are very well studied or proven. Results from studies include:
Previous Section
Review Date: 05/03/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical
School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
