National Study of Lifetime Asthma Prevalence and Trends in Metro and Non-Metro Counties, 2000-2003.

摘要

Asthma has long been considered a problem of urban populations, but it is not an insignificant problem in rural areas. Unfortunately, recent information on asthma prevalence and trends among rural adults is limited. To estimate the prevalence of and recent trends in asthma among adults residing in metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties in the United States. Analysis of data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) national sample for the years 2000 (n = 184,450), 2001 (n = 212,510), 2002 (n = 247,964), and 2003 (n = 264,684). The outcome measured was lifetime asthma diagnosis from self-report. In 2003, the adjusted prevalence of lifetime asthma diagnosis was 12.0 percent for metropolitan counties and 11.0 percent for non-metropolitan counties (p < 0.001). Prevalence of lifetime asthma diagnosis trended upwards across the rural-urban spectrum between 2000 and 2003, and states with the highest 2003 prevalence and the greatest increase in prevalence among non-metropolitan residents were concentrated in the West Census region (e.g., Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington). Asthma prevalence in non-metropolitan counties was highest for those aged 18 to 34 (15.9%), the unemployed (13.5%), American Indians (12.7%) and women (12.4%).