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Asthma among homeless children in New York City: an update

Roy Grant1, Shawn Bowen, Diane E McLean

  • 1The Children's Health Fund, New York, NY 10027, USA. rgrant@chfund.org

American Journal of Public Health
|February 3, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Asthma affects 40% of homeless children in New York City shelters. Most diagnosed children lack controller medication, leading to frequent emergency room visits, highlighting a critical public health issue.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Asthma Research
  • Public Health Policy
  • Urban Health Disparities

Background:

  • Homeless children face significant health challenges.
  • Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory condition in children.
  • Previous data indicated high asthma rates in this vulnerable population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of asthma among homeless children in New York City.
  • To assess asthma management and healthcare utilization in this population.
  • To provide evidence for improving healthcare access and treatment for homeless children with asthma.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study design.
  • Data collected from homeless children in New York City shelters.
  • Utilized a standardized protocol for data collection and analysis.

Main Results:

  • Asthma prevalence was 40% (1998-1999) and 33% (through 2002).
  • Only 15% of children with a previous asthma diagnosis were on controller medication.
  • Emergency department utilization was high at 59%.

Conclusions:

  • Homeless children in NYC exhibit extremely high asthma prevalence.
  • Inadequate controller medication use contributes to high healthcare utilization.
  • Study findings supported a successful class action lawsuit for improved asthma care.

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