Summary
Using data from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey, the authors examined the incidence, characteristics of asthma morbidity and care, and ethnic differences that exist in older adults with asthma in California.
Characteristics of older adults (65 years and older) with and without asthma were compared using population-weighted estimates. Asthma-specific variables were compared among different ethnic groups. Multivariate analyses were preformed to determine factors associated with asthma status, asthma episodes/attacks, asthma symptom frequency and emergency department (ED) visits due to asthma.
Asthma was present in 8.1 percent of older adults, among which, 67.3 percent reported taking medication daily for asthma. Asthma symptoms were experienced every day by almost 20 percent, with over 34 percent of seniors with asthma having symptoms at least once per week. Despite having a lower frequency of asthma symptoms, Hispanics were 5.31 times more likely to visit the ED due to asthma than were Caucasians.
The findings from the study showed that older adults with asthma had difficulty with asthma control. We recommend a focus on asthma education so that when symptoms do occur, options are available to avoid costly ED visits. Further research should focus on specific asthma management skills and adherence to asthma treatment regimen among ethnic groups.
Publication Authors:
- Jung-Ah Lee
- et al