Study: Asthma Not More Prevalent In Cities
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- For half a century, the hot spots for asthma were believed to be the inner city.
It's still prevalent there but, as Alex DeMetrick reports, a new Hopkins study found just as much asthma risk in the suburbs and rural areas.
Jasmine Bond brought her daughter Darionna to Johns Hopkins Pediatric Center for help with the girl's asthma.
"It's very scary. It's like her chest---it hurts her chest. It's moving really fast," Jasmine said.
And it turns out asthma is also on the move. For decades, the worst outbreaks were in urban areas---not anymore.
"There were also very high rates in poor areas that weren't in cities," said Dr. Corrine Keet, Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
That's because a lot of cities are becoming harder to afford on low incomes and there has been a demographic change as people move out toward suburbs and rural areas.
A new study by Hopkins Children's Center traced 23,000 cases in all 50 states and found asthma hot spots following that population shift.
"Household income of the children living in these areas and the other one was race, ethnicity. Children of African-American descent were much more likely to have asthma," Keet said.
This study could help alert doctors outside of cities to look closer for asthma.
"And that we're understanding what's going on in those areas and how to prevent asthma in those areas," Keet said.
"That's a painful sight to see [when my child can't breathe]," Jasmine said.
Why African-Americans are more at risk for asthma is not fully understood. Researchers continue to search for genetic answers, as well as environmental causes.
