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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Carolina Alvarez-Garriga, MD, DrPH¹, Joaquim G. Valente, MD, PhD¹, Wei Yang, MD, PhD², Federico Montealegre, DVM, MS, PhD³, Sandra Noffsinger¹, Michelle Butler¹, Dylan Linnell¹, Danielle Moss¹, Aaron Hull¹, Joseph Wilson¹, Kayla Bihler¹, Jenna Huber¹, Dea Minnitte¹, Kristen Rose¹, Justin Patay¹, Amber Ramos¹, Julie Pace¹, and Manuel Bayona, MD, PhD¹. (1) School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno, Lombardi/ 274, Reno, NV 89557, (775) 784-4041 Ext. 249, calvarez@unr.edu, (2) Center for Health Data and Research, Nevada State Health Division, 505 E. King Street, Room 102, Carson City, NV 89701, (3) Department of Microbiology, Ponce School of Medicine, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, PR 00732

Prevalence and severity of asthma are rising and existing evidence is not sufficient to explain this process. The purpose of this study was to identify and assess important predictors for asthma severe enough to require hospitalization. Data was obtained from the “National Asthma Survey” of the “State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey” of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These cross-sectional data were analyzed by applying the appropriate sampling weights to multiple logistic regression, to assess the association of each potential predictor and the outcome (severe asthma) adjusting for all confounders simultaneously. Among other results, the likelihood of severe asthma was higher in children below five years of age and those 75 years and older. No important gender differences were found. Hispanics had considerably higher probability of severe asthma. Obesity was also found associated with severe asthma. As income increased, the likelihood of severe asthma decreased up to 87% when compared incomes above $ 65,000 with below $ 10,000 U.S. dollars a year. The results of this study can be used to identify modifiable predictors and high risk groups for asthma severe enough to require hospitalization.

Key Words: Epidemiology, asthma severity, telephone survey

Learning Objectives:

• At the end of the session the participants will be able to
• 1. Describe important predictors for severe asthma.
• 2. Identify the methods for survey research as applied to asthma epidemiology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation