AAAAI 2023: Black Children With Eczema More Likely to Have Asthma Than White Counterparts
Yet, only 46.7 percent of Black children with asthma saw an allergist compared with 69 percent of White children
MONDAY, March 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Black children with atopic dermatitis are more likely to have an asthma diagnosis than White children, but are less likely to be evaluated by an allergist and undergo environmental allergy testing, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, held from Feb. 24 to 27 in San Antonio.
Ellen Stephen, M.D., from Rush University in Bloomington, Indiana, and colleagues performed a retrospective chart review of patients ages 0 to 18 years at a single center who were diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. The study included 728 Black children and 246 non-Hispanic White children.
The researchers found that Black children were significantly more likely to have an asthma diagnosis than White children (31.2 versus 10 percent; P = 0.00). Three main variables seemed to be significant for the difference: higher Area Deprivation Index, higher body mass index, and older age at the time of evaluation. Additionally, Black children with asthma were less likely to see an allergist (46.7 versus 69 percent; P = 0.002) and more likely to have not previously received inhalant allergy testing (odds ratio, 7.5; P = 0.03).
“All children with asthma should ideally undergo allergist evaluation including environmental allergy testing, as management for comorbid allergic rhinitis is known to be important in achieving optimal asthma control,” Stephen told Elsevier’s PracticeUpdate. “It is important, as part of the care plan for these patients, to consider allergist referral and to assess socioeconomic barriers to accessing this specialty care that can be addressed by providers.”
The study authors are next going to analyze referral patterns for the children at their center “to see if the barriers arise in scheduling or attending the allergist appointment after referral is made or if the referrals are not being placed at all for some of these children,” Stephen told Elsevier’s PracticeUpdate.
She added: “Ongoing disparities research is essential to truly understand the impact of systemic factors in our country on the diagnosis, management, and health outcomes of patients from historically under-represented and underserved racial and ethnic identities. The ultimate goal is to be able to successfully provide equitable health care to all Americans.”
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