Racial and Ethnic Identity and Vulnerability to Upper Respiratory Viral Infections Among US Children

Overview

Journal J Infect Dis

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2023 Oct 20

PMID 37863043

Authors

Darlene Bhavnani

Matthew Wilkinson

Sarah E Chambliss

Emily A Croce

Paul J Rathouz

Elizabeth C Matsui

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: It is unclear whether there are racial/ethnic disparities in the risk of upper respiratory viral infection acquisition and/or lower respiratory manifestations.

Methods: We studied all children and children with asthma aged 6 to 17 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2012) to evaluate (1) the association between race/ethnicity and upper respiratory infection (URI) and (2) whether race/ethnicity is a risk factor for URI-associated pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation or decreased lung function.

Results: Children who identified as Black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.38; 95% CI, 1.10-1.75) and Mexican American (aOR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.16-1.94) were more likely to report a URI than those who identified as White. Among those with asthma, Black children were more than twice as likely to report a URI than White children (aOR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.31-3.95). Associations between URI and pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation or lung function did not differ by race/ethnicity.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that there may be racial and ethnic disparities in acquiring a URI but not in the severity of infection. Given that upper respiratory viral infection is tightly linked to asthma exacerbations in children, differences in the risk of infection among children with asthma may contribute to disparities in asthma exacerbations.

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