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Review
. 2008 Apr;9(4):453-62.
doi: 10.2217/14622416.9.4.453.

Race, ethnicity and social class and the complex etiologies of asthma

Katherine A Drake  1 , Joshua M Galanter, Esteban González Burchard
Affiliations
Review

Race, ethnicity and social class and the complex etiologies of asthma

Katherine A Drake et al. Pharmacogenomics. 2008 Apr.

Abstract

Asthma is a common but complex respiratory disease caused by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Significant racial and ethnic disparities in prevalence, mortality and drug response have been described. These disparities may be explained by racial and ethnic-specific variation in genetic, environmental, social and psychological risk factors. In addition, race, ethnicity and social class are important proxies for unmeasured factors that influence health outcomes. Herein, we review salient differences in the etiologies of asthma by race, ethnicity and social class, and argue for their continued use as variables in asthma research.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percent African ancestry in Puerto Rican asthma cases and controls stratified by socioeconomic status (SES). SES was obtained using clinic recruitment site address.
Figure 2
Figure 2
There is evidence to suggest that there are genetic, environmental, social and economic risk factors independently and dependently influencing the development and severity of asthma.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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