Asthma among Children in the USA: An Online Database Report
In the contemporary medical world, several health concerns affect the well-being of various groups of persons. A case in point of a leading health issue in the USA is Asthma, which affects individuals of all ages (Healthypeople.gov, 2017). The most vulnerable to this condition are the young children. Its implication on the wellbeing of this population necessitates an in-depth analysis that will help shed light on this issue. In essence, this report delves in establishing the current situation of Asthma among children and adolescents in the USA. Central to this scrutiny is an online search of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) database.
Demographic Description of Selected Population
According to Akinbami, Moorman, and Liu, (2013) the prevalence of children aged between 0-17 years with Asthma was 7.1 million as per the 2009 survey. Similarly, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 2013 reported that asthma prevalence was lowest among the children aged 0-4 years while in children aged 5-9, 10-14 and 15-17 years, the prevalence rates were 10.0%, 9.4% and 9.0% respectively (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).
Moreover, the male children aged between 0-17years accounted for a higher prevalence rate. For instance, Akinbami, Moorman, and Liu, (2013) estimated the proportion of males with asthma to be 11.3% as compared to the 7.9% noted in the female counterparts.
As for the ethnic background and race, the most affected are the African-American children (11.1%), followed by the Whites (7.8%) and a small proportion of Asthma is evident in Asians (5.3%) (Akinbami, Moorman, & Liu, 2013). Consistent with this finding, the CDC report of 2013 established the highest prevalence rate among children of the black race (14.0%) while in the whites, asthma only accounted for 7.4%.
Lastly, Asthma is also most common among children that are coming from families below the federal poverty level (11.6%). The most affected geographical areas from this survey were the Northeast and Midwest regions 9.3% and 8.8% respectively (Akinbami, Moorman, & Liu, 2013).
Noticeable Trends in Morbidity and Mortality
About the morbidity of childhood asthma, approximately 6.7 million children aged 0-17 years were reported to visit physician offices seeking to consult about their condition. A further 0.8 million visits were made to the hospital outpatient department this age group (Akinbami, Moorman, & Liu, 2013). Also, in another study, 22.2% of the visits made to the emergency department were mainly children aged 0-17 years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).
Of significance about the mortality rates of Asthma, the statistics from various studies indicate that the deaths due to childhood asthma are rare. For instance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2013), the mortality rate for this study population was 2.6 for every one million. In children aged 0-4 years, the death rate is 1.9 per 1 million while 5-14 and 15 -18 years the rates are 2.9 and 4.0 for every 1 million respectively.
Implications for Public Health Intervention Based on the Results and Trends
Looking into the demographic distribution of the condition and the patterns of morbidity and mortality, one can draw implications for the public health action. That is the case given that asthma is preventable as evidenced by several strategies, which public health professionals can utilize to stop these trends.
An implication drawn from these results and trends is that public health professionals need to address the issue of lowering the proportion of African-American children that develop asthma. From the analysis, it is clear that the African-American have the highest risk of developing this condition. As such, developing an initiative that will address this population is of the essence in enhancing their wellbeing.
Another implication that public health professionals can obtain from this analysis is the need for community members’ financial empowerment. That is the case given that asthma is more prevalent in the poor members of the society. Thus, health care professionals need to provide cheap and affordable care for such individuals to enhance their wellbeing.
Ethical and Legal Principles of Collection, Maintenance, Use and Dissemination of Epidemiologic Data
According to the HIPAA privacy policy, patient’s data must remain confidential during and after an interaction with them. As such, all institutions that deal with patients must ensure that they protect the obtained information (Harman, Flite, & Bond, 2012). Concerning the same issue, there is the maintenance of data privacy during collection of data given that the patient’s details remain confidential such as their names during the interviews. Moreover, patients are included in the study sample after signing an informed consent. Clearly, with such instances, it is beyond doubt that there is adherence to the ethical obligations of conducting a study.
Conclusion
Concisely, this report aimed at establishing the current situation of a leading health concern (asthma) in the USA. Indeed, asthma affects a large proportion of the USA population with children the most affected. As such, going into the future, there is a need for the public health professionals to channel their efforts towards changing the current state of asthma within the USA. Failure to do so, however, will only result in the progression of the harsh effects of this condition within the USA.
References
Akinbami, L. J., Moorman, J. E., & Liu, X. (2013). Asthma prevalence, health care use and mortality: United States, 2005-2009. National Health Statistics Reports 2011; 32: 1-15.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2013).Asthma Facts—CDC’s National Asthma Control Program Grantees. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Harman, L., Flite, C., & Bond, K. (2012).Electronic Health Records: Privacy, Confidentiality, and Security.Virtual Mentor, 14(9), 712. Retrieved from http://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/2012/09/stas1-1209.html
Healthypeople.gov, (2017).Respiratory Diseases | Healthy People 2020.Healthypeople.gov. Retrieved 17 February 2017, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/respiratory-diseases
