Social Determinants of Emergency Department Visits in Mild Compared To Moderate and Severe Asthma

Abstract

Social determinants of health (SDH) influence emergency department (ED) use among children with asthma. We aimed to examine if SDH were more strongly associated with ED use among children with moderate/severe compared to mild asthma. This study utilized the 2016-2019 data from the National Survey of Children’s Health. Children with asthma ages 0-17 years (N=9,937) were included in the analysis. Asthma severity and all-cause ED use in the past year were reported by caregivers. The association between patient factors and ED visits was evaluated using ordinal logistic regression. Based on the study sample, 29% of children with asthma had moderate/severe asthma. In the mild group, 30% visited the ED at least once in the past 12 months, compared to 49% in the moderate/severe group. SDH associated with ED visits included race/ethnicity, insurance coverage, and parental educational attainment, but the strength of these associations did not vary according to asthma severity. In a nationally-representative data set, SDH were equally predictive of ED use regardless of children’s asthma severity. Interventions to reduce ED use among children with asthma should be considered for children with any severity of asthma, especially children in socially disadvantaged groups at higher risk of ED utilization.

Role of Social Determinants of Health in Differential Respiratory Exposure and Health Outcomes Among Children

“…Namely, Weitoft et al found signi cant associations between health insurance and female asthma exacerbation-related emergency visits (49). Uninsured children with asthma are 1.4-2.4 times more likely to visit an emergency room than children with private insurance or a public health plan (46,50).…”