ASTHMA IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA *
DID YOU KNOW THAT…?

Asthma is epidemic in DC. An estimated 32,000 residents have asthma, of whom 10,000
are children under the age of 18. 5

Asthma prevalence in children high in DC versus the U.S. overall. DC children under
age 18 report current asthma prevalence of 11.8% versus 8.8% among their U.S. counterparts. 8
DC adults report current asthma prevalence of 7.8% compared with 7.7% among U.S. adults. 9

Families often use emergency rooms instead of primary care. Children accounted
for more than 7,000 emergency department visits to DC hospitals for asthma in each of the
past two years, nearly 70% of these visits were among children 8 years of age or younger. 6

The total cost of asthma in DC is an estimated $24.2 million in 1998, including
$13.7 million in direct medical expenditures and $10.5 million in indirect costs. 5

In 2000, the asthma mortality rate for DC was 1.7 per 100,000 population compared
to 1.6 per 100,000 for the nation. Asthma mortality rates were highest in Wards 6, 7, and 8
from 1995 to 2000. From 1995 to 2002, 14 DC children ages 0 to 19 years died of asthma. 7
WHAT IS ASTHMA?

Asthma is an inflammation of the airways that makes it difficult to breathe.
Asthma attacks can be mild or life threatening. Symptoms of an “asthma attack” include
progressively worsening shortness of breath, a tight, constricted feeling in the chest,
coughing and wheezing, or some combination of these.

There is no cure, but asthma can be controlled and asthma attacks can be
prevented so people with asthma can lead healthy and active lives.
WHO GETS ASTHMA?

More than 20 million Americans reported having asthma in 2001– 6.3 million of
them children less than 18 years of age. About 12 million people experienced an
asthma attack in the past year. 1

Asthma has nearly doubled in prevalence over the past two decades. Hard-hit are
economically disadvantaged, urban and minority groups. African-Americans continue to have
more than double the rate of asthma emergency department (ER) visits, and almost triple
the rate of deaths and hospitalizations, than Caucasians do. 1

The leading cause of chronic illness in children and teenagers, asthma affects nearly
one in every 13 school-aged children, and the rate is rising more rapidly in preschool-aged
children than in any other group. 1
WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF ASTHMA?

Asthma's burden is phenomenal: In 2000, there were more than 10 million outpatient
asthma visits to private physician offices and hospital clinics (4.6 million of these for
children), and there were 1.8 million visits to emergency departments for treatment of
asthma in that same year. 1

In 2000, asthma accounted for 4,487 deaths, and approximately 465,000
hospitalizations (214,000 involved children under 18 years of age). 1

Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism, accounting for an annual loss of
14 million school days. 2 Direct health care costs for asthma total more than $9 billion
annually. Lost wages from missed work or death from asthma approached $5 billion. 3
For more information, contact National Capital Asthma Coalition, 1718 M Street, NW, #148,
Washington, DC 20036, Phone: 202-223-1882, www.DCAsthma.org
WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT ASTHMA?
More is being learned every day about controlling asthma attacks and thus decreasing the
burden of the disease.

Asthma Management Plans help. A written “Asthma Action Plan,” developed jointly by
the health care provider and patient, helps in the management of asthma when it is followed
correctly. Plans help you to learn the early warning signs of an attack. They outline
recommended doses and frequencies of medications for long-term control and quick relief,
and how to adjust them in response to symptoms. Plans also contain emergency contact
information, and a list of triggers that may cause an asthma attack. Copies of the plan should
be shared with school officials, co-workers, coaches and other contacts.

Keep regular appointments with a doctor – don’t wait until it’s an emergency—in
order to maintain proper health conditions to control asthma.

Identify and whenever possible avoid the common “triggers” of asthma attacks.
Triggers are things people are allergic to or which irritate their airways, and may start an
asthma attack into motion. Some triggers are secondhand cigarette smoke, cockroaches, dust
mites, molds, pets and pet dander, ozone, pollen, cold air, respiratory infections, and exercise.

Americans spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, so irritants and allergens
play a large role in triggering asthma episodes and should be avoided or eliminated. 4
Communities are mobilizing to reduce the burden of asthma. Coalitions are a promising
approach to addressing asthma on a community-wide basis. For a list of coalitions in your
state, see Allies Against Asthma’s “Coalition Connections” page, at www.alliesagainstasthma.net.
###
Sources:
1) National Center for Health Care Statistics Report, “Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use
and Mortality, 2000-2001." http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/asthma/asthma.htm
2) Centers for Disease Control & Prevention 2002 MMWR on asthma surveillance, 1980-1999.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5101a1.htm
3) National Health, Lung & Blood Institute Morbidity and Mortality Chart book, May 2002.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/docs/cht-book.htm
4) The National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine 2000 Report “Clearing the Air:
Asthma and Indoor Air Exposures.” http://www.nap.edu/books/0309064961/html
5) The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America Report “Cost of Asthma,” 1998 estimates.
http://www.aafa.org/templ/display.cfm?id=16&sub=67
6) Improving Pediatric Asthma Care in the District of Columbia (IMPACT DC), nonmilitary ED visits at 8 DC hospitals, ages 1-18 years, October 2001- September 2004.
7) District of Columbia Department of Health Report, “Asthma in the District of Columbia,”
December 2003 and the State Center for Health Statistics, DC Mortality Files.
8) Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics, State and Local
Area Integrated Telephone Survey, National Survey of Children's Health, 2003. (Note: Current asthma
prevalence defined as answering "YES" to "Have you EVER been told by a doctor, nurse, or other health
professional that you had asthma?" and "Do you still have asthma?") From “Trends in Asthma Morbidity
and Mortality: Part II Graphs,” American Lung Association, May 2005.
9) Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2003.
(Note: Current asthma prevalence defined as answering "YES" to "Have you EVER been told by a doctor,
nurse, or other health professional that you had asthma?" and "Do you still have asthma?") From “Trends
in Asthma Morbidity and Mortality: Part II Graphs,” American Lung Association, May 2005.
Other helpful information:
Asthma Resource Bank: www.asthmaresourcebank.net
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: www.aafa.org
National Asthma Education & Prevention Program: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/naepp
American Lung Association: http://www.lungusa.org
* Reprinted with permission from “Allies Against Asthma Coalition Connections Fact Sheet” retrieved January 14,
2004 from http://www.asthma.umich.edu/media/coalition_connections_autogen/FactSheet2002.doc with DC-specific
data added from sources indicated above.
Asthma in the District of Columbia
Page 2
National Capital Asthma Coalition Fact Sheet