Search

In 2005, three million Californians reported that they had current asthma. Despite advances in therapy, asthma remains a disease that is not optimally controlled in many Californians. Inadequately controlled asthma can result in missed work and school and emergency department visits. Asthma was responsible for an estimated 1.9 million missed days of school and two million days of missed work in California in 2005. In addition, more than 475,000 children and adults in California went to the emergency department or urgent care center because of asthma. There are 659,000 children and adults who suffer from asthma symptoms every day or every week (22% of those with current asthma). These Californians suffering from frequent asthma symptoms have higher rates of missing school or work due to their asthma, visiting the emergency department or urgent care for their asthma, and rating their overall health as fair or poor. Improvements in access to health care, asthma management and avoidance of triggers can help these Californians reduce the severity of their asthma burden. Using data from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2005), this policy brief examines the burden associated with frequent asthma symptoms among those with current asthma, and identifies key opportunities for reducing and controlling disease activity in these asthma sufferers. Asthma is a chronic disease that causes the airways of the lungs to become inflamed and more sensitive to constriction, making it harder to breathe. Current asthma refers to people who have been diagnosed with asthma and who report they still have asthma, or have had an episode or attack in the previous year. Frequent asthma symptoms are defined as experiencing asthma symptoms every day or every week.

This policy brief examines the prevalence and management of diabetes among adults in California based on data from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2005). It also describes how the prevalence and management of diabetes have changed over time, based on data from CHIS 2001 and CHIS 2003. The brief concludes with public policy recommendations intended to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and its related complications.

Many Californians with asthma are exposed to environmental conditions in the home-such as the presence of tobacco smoke and furry pets-which can trigger asthma symptoms. In addition, many who have not been diagnosed with asthma experience asthma-like breathing problems when exposed to these same indoor conditions. Nearly 1.9 million California adults and 890,000 children have active asthma (7.3% of all adults and 10.4% of all children). Among those with active asthma, 970,000 adults and 300,000 children suffered from symptoms at least monthly in 2003. An additional 2.6 million California adults and 810,000 children who had not been diagnosed with asthma suffered from asthma-like symptoms such as wheezing in 2003 (11.1% of all adults and 9.3% of all children). A Publication of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Using results from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2003), this policy brief examines the association of asthma symptoms and asthma-like breathing problems with smoking and the presence of tobacco smoke in the home, and with the presence of dogs and cats in the home. This brief presents the prevalence of monthly asthma symptoms among adults and children with active asthma and the prevalence of wheezing and other asthma-like symptoms in the previous year among those not diagnosed with asthma. Active asthma refers to being diagnosed with asthma and also reporting that one still has asthma and/or that one experienced an asthma attack in the past year. There are a number of known environmental triggers in the home, including environmental tobacco smoke, animal dander, dust mites, cockroaches, molds and pollens. This brief discusses those triggers for which CHIS 2003 collected useful data. Other triggers have also been found to significantly contribute to breathing problems.

In California, 2.8 million children and adults (900,000 children and 1.9 million adults) suffer from active asthma. One out of six of these Californians (16%) lives below the poverty level. Low-income adults and children with active asthma disproportionately bear the burden of asthma. They experience more frequent symptoms, go to the emergency department (ED) more often for asthma care, miss more school and have poorer health status. They also are more likely to lack access to health care and to live in conditions associated with asthma exacerbations. Using data from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2003), this policy brief examines the burden of asthma among low-income asthma sufferers as well as some opportunities to reduce the burden for these asthma sufferers. Active asthma refers to people who have been diagnosed with asthma and who reported they still have asthma and/or experienced an asthma attack in the past year.

In California, nearly 2.8 million adults and children (8%) had active asthma in 2003. Of Californians with active asthma, 890,000 are children (ages 0-17) and 1.8 million are adults (age 18 and above). The prevalence of active asthma varies by racial and ethnic group, with racial and ethnic minority groups affected more adversely by asthma. They are more likely to go to the emergency department for asthma care, miss more school and work days because of asthma, and have poorer health status. They are also more likely to lack access to health care and to live in conditions associated with asthma exacerbations. Among California children, the prevalence of active asthma varies by racial and ethnic groups-with the highest prevalence among African Americans (17%) and American Indians/Alaska Natives (17%), followed by whites (10%), Latinos (7%) and Asians (7%; Exhibit 1). Among adults, American Indians/Alaska Natives have the highest prevalence of active asthma (13%), followed by African Americans (10%), whites (9%), Asians (5%) and Latinos (5%). The National data similarly show that both African Americans and American Indians have higher current asthma prevalence rates than non- Hispanic whites.

In California, 4.5 million adults, adolescents and children had been diagnosed with asthma (13% of all Californians) in 2003, up from four million (12%) in 2001. This increase is consistent in younger children, adolescents and adults (Exhibit 1). Nationally, 10% of the population has been diagnosed with asthma. Among the 4.5 million Californians diagnosed with asthma, more than 2.5 million suffered from an asthma attack or other asthma symptoms in 2003 (56% of those diagnosed). An additional 3.4 million Californians who have not been diagnosed with asthma-10% of all Californians-suffer from asthma-like breathing problems. Some of these respondents might have other respiratory conditions, while others are likely to have asthma that has not been diagnosed. Based on data from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2003), this policy brief examines the prevalence of lifetime asthma diagnoses and asthma symptoms, as well as the prevalence of asthma-like breathing problems in the absence of an asthma diagnosis. Where possible, it also describes how prevalence has changed since 2001, based on data from CHIS 2001. Lifetime prevalence refers to people who have ever been diagnosed with asthma by a doctor. The prevalence of asthma symptoms refers to people who report having been diagnosed with asthma and who also reported experiencing an asthma attack or other asthma symptoms in the past year. The prevalence of asthma-like symptoms refers to people who have not been diagnosed with asthma but who experienced breathing problems, such as wheezing or whistling in the chest in the past year.

This policy brief presents information about the walking habits of California adults based on data from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2003). We examine the prevalence of regular walking and no walking by socio-demographic and neighborhood characteristics. Regular walking is defined as walking on at least five separate occasions for a combined total of at least 150 minutes in the previous seven days. This definition is based on the recommendation that adults engage in moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes on five or more days of the week. Occasional walking is defined as walking at least once for 10 or more minutes in the previous seven days. No walking is defined as not walking at least once for 10 or more minutes in the previous seven days.