Prevalence of Asthma Among Adult Females and Males in the United States: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2001-2004

Overview

Journal J Asthma

Publisher Informa Healthcare

Specialties Allergy & Immunology
Pulmonary Medicine

Date 2009 Oct 30

PMID 19863277

Citations 35

Authors

Michelle K McHugh

Elaine Symanski

Lisa A Pompeii

George L Delclos

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of asthma has increased over the last three decades with females exhibiting a higher prevalence of asthma than males. The objective of this study was to obtain gender-specific estimates of the prevalence of current and ever asthma and describe the relationships between risk factors and asthma by gender in US men and women ages 20 to 85.

Methods: Data for this study came from two cycles (2001-2002 and 2003-2004) of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and included 9,243 eligible adults: 4,589 females and 4,654 males. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate gender-specific associations between race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), sociodemographic characteristics, and smoking habits for current asthma and ever asthma.

Results: The prevalence of current asthma was 8.8% for women and 5.8% for men, while the prevalence of ever having been diagnosed with asthma was higher (13.7% and 10.4% for women and men, respectively). Current asthma was less prevalent in Mexican American women (1.9%) and men (0.9%) born in Mexico as compared to Mexican Americans born in the U.S. (8.7% and 5.2% for women and men, respectively) or for any other ethnic group. Approximately 20% of extremely obese women and men had ever been diagnosed with asthma; among this group, 15% reported they had current asthma. Results from multiple logistic regression models indicate that extreme obesity and living in poverty were strongly associated with current and ever asthma for both women and men, as was former smoking and ever asthma for men.

Conclusion: As compared to previous NHANES reports, our results indicate that the prevalence of asthma among U.S. adults continues to increase. Further, our findings of marked differences among subgroups of the population suggest asthma-related disparities for impoverished persons and greater prevalence of asthma among obese and extremely obese US adults.

Citing Articles

Epidemiological status and associated factors of frailty and pre-frailty in older adults with asthma in China: A national cross-sectional study.

Zeng X, Meng L, Jia N, Shi J, Zhang C, Li Y Front Public Health. 2023; 11:1136135.

PMID: 36935664 PMC: 10022817. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1136135.

Understanding the post-2010 increase in food bank use in England: new quasi-experimental analysis of the role of welfare policy.

Sosenko F, Bramley G, Bhattacharjee A BMC Public Health. 2022; 22(1):1363.

PMID: 35842623 PMC: 9287534. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13738-0.

Validation of an Index for Functionally Important Respiratory Symptoms among Adults in the Nationally Representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study, 2014-2016.

Halenar M, Sargent J, Edwards K, Woloshin S, Schwartz L, Emond J Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(18).

PMID: 34574610 PMC: 8467923. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189688.

The influence of individual characteristics and non-respiratory diseases on blood eosinophil count.

Amaral R, Jacinto T, Malinovschi A, Janson C, Price D, Fonseca J Clin Transl Allergy. 2021; 11(4):e12036.

PMID: 34123365 PMC: 8175041. DOI: 10.1002/clt2.12036.

Roles of Genetic Predisposition in the Sex Bias of Pulmonary Pathophysiology, as a Function of Estrogens : Sex Matters in the Prevalence of Lung Diseases.

Huang A, Kandhi S, Sun D Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021; 1303:107-127.

PMID: 33788190 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-63046-1_7.

References

Papageorgiou N, Gaga M, Marossis C, Reppas C, Avarlis P, Kyriakou M . Prevalence of asthma and asthma-like symptoms in Athens, Greece. Respir Med. 1997; 91(2):83-8. DOI: 10.1016/s0954-6111(97)90072-x. View

Litonjua A, Sparrow D, Celedon J, DeMolles D, Weiss S . Association of body mass index with the development of methacholine airway hyperresponsiveness in men: the Normative Aging Study. Thorax. 2002; 57(7):581-5. PMC: 1746377. DOI: 10.1136/thorax.57.7.581. View

Mannino D, Homa D, Pertowski C, Ashizawa A, Nixon L, Johnson C . Surveillance for asthma--United States, 1960-1995. MMWR CDC Surveill Summ. 1998; 47(1):1-27. View

Guerra S, Sherrill D, Bobadilla A, Martinez F, Barbee R . The relation of body mass index to asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. Chest. 2002; 122(4):1256-63. DOI: 10.1378/chest.122.4.1256. View

Brisbon N, Plumb J, Brawer R, Paxman D . The asthma and obesity epidemics: the role played by the built environment--a public health perspective. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005; 115(5):1024-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2005.02.020. View

Moorman J, Anne Rudd R, Johnson C, King M, Minor P, Bailey C . National surveillance for asthma--United States, 1980-2004. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2007; 56(8):1-54. View

Arif A, Rohrer J, Delclos G . A population-based study of asthma, quality of life, and occupation among elderly Hispanic and non-Hispanic whites: a cross-sectional investigation. BMC Public Health. 2005; 5:97. PMC: 1249583. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-5-97. View

Postma D . Gender differences in asthma development and progression. Gend Med. 2007; 4 Suppl B:S133-46. DOI: 10.1016/s1550-8579(07)80054-4. View

Kogevinas M, Zock J, Jarvis D, Kromhout H, Lillienberg L, Plana E . Exposure to substances in the workplace and new-onset asthma: an international prospective population-based study (ECRHS-II). Lancet. 2007; 370(9584):336-41. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61164-7. View

10.

Hedlund U, Eriksson K, Ronmark E . Socio-economic status is related to incidence of asthma and respiratory symptoms in adults. Eur Respir J. 2006; 28(2):303-10. DOI: 10.1183/09031936.06.00108105. View

11.

Siroux V, Curt F, Oryszczyn M, Maccario J, Kauffmann F . Role of gender and hormone-related events on IgE, atopy, and eosinophils in the Epidemiological Study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and atopy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004; 114(3):491-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2004.05.027. View

12.

Eldeirawi K, McConnell R, Freels S, Persky V . Associations of place of birth with asthma and wheezing in Mexican American children. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005; 116(1):42-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2005.03.041. View

13.

Holguin F, Mannino D, Anto J, Mott J, Ford E, Teague W . Country of birth as a risk factor for asthma among Mexican Americans. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004; 171(2):103-8. DOI: 10.1164/rccm.200402-143OC. View

14.

McWhorter W, Polis M, Kaslow R . Occurrence, predictors, and consequences of adult asthma in NHANESI and follow-up survey. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1989; 139(3):721-4. DOI: 10.1164/ajrccm/139.3.721. View

15.

Loerbroks A, Apfelbacher C, Amelang M, Sturmer T . Obesity and adult asthma: potential effect modification by gender, but not by hay fever. Ann Epidemiol. 2007; 18(4):283-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2007.11.001. View

16.

Ford E, Mannino D . Time trends in obesity among adults with asthma in the United States: findings from three national surveys. J Asthma. 2005; 42(2):91-5. View

17.

Salo P, Arbes Jr S, Crockett P, Thorne P, Cohn R, Zeldin D . Exposure to multiple indoor allergens in US homes and its relationship to asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008; 121(3):678-684.e2. PMC: 2376121. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2007.12.1164. View

18.

Troisi R, Speizer F, Rosner B, Trichopoulos D, Willett W . Cigarette smoking and incidence of chronic bronchitis and asthma in women. Chest. 1995; 108(6):1557-61. DOI: 10.1378/chest.108.6.1557. View

19.

Basagana X, Sunyer J, Kogevinas M, Zock J, Duran-Tauleria E, Jarvis D . Socioeconomic status and asthma prevalence in young adults: the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Am J Epidemiol. 2004; 160(2):178-88. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwh186. View

20.

Huovinen E, Kaprio J, Koskenvuo M . Factors associated to lifestyle and risk of adult onset asthma. Respir Med. 2003; 97(3):273-80. DOI: 10.1053/rmed.2003.1419. View