Asthma prevalence among women aged 18 to 44 in the United States: National health and nutrition examination survey 2001–2016

Abstract

Objective: To provide updated prevalence estimates of asthma and asthma medication use for women of childbearing age in the United States.

Methods: Using data from 11,383 women aged 18–44, including a subset of 1,245 pregnant women, enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001–2016), we assessed the age-adjusted prevalence of self-reported diagnosed asthma. For women aged 18–44, we stratified by year, demographics, and other characteristics. Furthermore, we assessed asthma medication use among women aged 18–44 with asthma.

Results: After age-adjustment, 9.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 9.2%, 10.7%) of women aged 18–44 and 10.9% (95% CI 7.2%, 14.6%) of pregnant women reported having asthma. Asthma prevalence was highest in 2015–2016 (12.0% 95% CI 9.8%, 14.3%) and lowest in 2003–2004 (8.6% 95% CI 6.4%, 10.8%). Women aged 18–44 with Medicaid or State Children’s Health Insurance Program insurance coverage (16.8% 95% CI 14.5%, 19.2%), obesity (14.4% 95% CI 12.9%, 15.8%), diabetes (18.7% 95% CI 12.1%, 25.2%), hypertension (16.6% 95% CI 14.2%, 19.0%), and current smokers (12.8% 95% CI 11.4%, 14.2%) had the highest asthma prevalence. Of women with asthma, 38.3% (95% CI 34.5%, 42.1%) reported using asthma medications in the past 30 days.

Conclusions: Among women of childbearing ages, asthma burden varies across demographic and clinical characteristics and has increased in recent years.

Keywords:

• asthma
• epidemiology
• pregnancy
• prescriptions
• prevalence
• women’s health

Study conception and design: Flores, Bandoli, Chambers, Schatz and Palmsten. Acquisition of data: Flores. Analysis of data: Flores, Bandoli and Palmsten. Interpretation of results: Flores, Bandoli, Chambers, Schatz and Palmsten. Critical revision of the manuscript: Flores, Bandoli, Chambers, Schatz and Palmsten. All authors have approved the final version of the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

K Palmsten is supported by a career development award from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health [R00HD082412]. G Bandoli is supported by the National Institutes of Health, Clinical and Translational Science Awards [TL1TR001443].