Rural children have more asthma morbidity compared with urban children

Asthma disproportionately affects minority and low-income children.

The researchers administered a survey to parents of children enrolled in urban and rural school districts in Arkansas, USA.

Provider-diagnosed asthma was similar in the rural vs urban groups (19% vs 20%).

However, rural children were more commonly diagnosed as having chronic bronchitis (7% vs. 2%). Rural children had more asthma morbidity compared with urban children, including recurrent trouble breathing, recurrent cough, recurrent chest tightness, and repeated episodes of bronchitis.

There were no differences in health care utilization between groups.

Asthma prevalence was similar between rural and urban groups in Arkansas, but asthma morbidity was higher in the rural group.

References:
A comparison of asthma prevalence and morbidity between rural and urban schoolchildren in Arkansas. Pesek RD, Vargas PA, Halterman JS, Jones SM, McCracken A, Perry TT. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2010 Feb;104(2):125-31.

Asthma is a major problem for inner city children - it may be an even bigger one for poor rural children. Annals and Reuters, 2011.

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