Differences in asthma management between white European and Indian subcontinent ethnic groups living in socioeconomically deprived areas in the Birmingham (UK) conurbation

Abstract

Background: Hospital admission rates for asthma have been higher for Asian (Indian subcontinent, ISC) ethnic minority groups in the UK than for white Europeans (W/E). As this may in part be due to differences in the uptake or delivery of preventative health care strategies, the extent to which targeted education and treatment programmes reach these groups needs to be determined.

Methods: Six hundred and eighty nine asthmatic subjects (345 W/E, 344 ISC) of mean (SD) age 34.5 (15) years (range 11-59) and mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 80% predicted from districts of high ethnicity and socioeconomic deprivation within inner city Birmingham were reviewed in the appropriate dialect (English, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu) in a community based study.

Results: Data adjusted for age and analysed separately for men (M) and women (F) showed no significant differences in the numbers reporting previous asthma education, assessment of delivery techniques, or being taught about medications, but there were significant differences for advice on trigger factors (M: 52% vs 42%; F: 56% vs 42%), recognition of symptoms (M: 51% vs 43%; F: 53% vs 33%), and ownership of peak flow meters (M: 35% vs 22%; F: 36% vs 24%) for W/E and ISC groups, respectively. Anti-inflammatory asthma medications were highly prescribed, but self reported drug compliance (M: 73% vs 62%), understanding medications (F: 59% vs 39%), and self management (F: 23% vs 12%) varied significantly. Asthma follow up in the community was low for both groups with more of the ISC subjects also being followed up by hospital.

Conclusions: The management of both ethnic groups has centred on drug prescription, delivery techniques and compliance, but has been deficient, particularly in the ISC group, in developing understanding of the disease and self management.