Country of Birth and Variations in Asthma and Wheezing Prevalence, and Emergency Department Utilization in Children: A NHANES Study

Abstract

Asthma prevalence and asthma-related healthcare utilization differ across racial/ethnic groups and geographical areas. This study builds on previous research to examine the relationship between country of birth and asthma prevalence and healthcare utilization using a national data set. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) Demographic and Questionnaire Files from 2007 to 2012 were used for this study. We used SPSS complex sampling design to estimate the association between country of birth and asthma prevalence, wheezing and emergency department (ED) use. The sample size was 8272 children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 19 years old. US-born children had more reported episodes of wheezing (p = 0.024) 95 % CI 1.06; 2.54. There was no association between country of birth and asthma and ED use. US-born children and adolescents compared to foreign-born children and adolescents are more likely to have episodes of wheezing.

Keywords: Asthma; Country of birth; Emergency department; Immigration; Wheezing.