Racial Disparities in Asthma Linked to Location

Residential segregation is associated with racial differences in the risk of developing asthma, according to the results of a recent study.

Although black children are twice as likely as others to develop asthma in the United States, past research has failed to fully explain the reason. Although low birth weight (LBW) has been suggested as a potential cause, the researchers note that when comparing only low birth weight children, black children still have higher risk of asthma than others.
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Using data from records of all children born in New Jersey from 2006 to 2010, as well as hospital emergency room visits from 2006 to 2012, the researchers compared incidence of asthma among LBW children of various races living in various areas of the state.

Using zip codes, the researchers determined whether the children were born in or lived in predominantly black areas.

“[W]hen we split the data by whether or not children live in a “black” zip code, this racial difference in the incidence of asthma among LBW children entirely disappears,” the researchers wrote.

“All LBW children in these zip codes, regardless of race, have a higher incidence of asthma. Our results point to the importance of residential segregation and neighborhoods in explaining persistent racial health disparities.”

The researchers speculate that air pollution is the most probably cause of this difference, as predominantly black neighborhoods in New Jersey are, on average, twice as close to major industrial sources of air pollution and highways as other areas. They also noted that indoor and outdoor air pollution could not only trigger asthma in these children, but could also be responsible for mother’s having low-birth-weight babies.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Alexander D, Currie J. Is it who you are or where you live? residential segregation and racial gaps in childhood asthma [published online July 25, 2017]. J Health Economics. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2017.07.003.