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Racial and Ethnic Identity and Vulnerability to Upper Respiratory Viral Infections Among US Children
Darlene Bhavnani1, Matthew Wilkinson2, Sarah E Chambliss3
1Department of Population Health.
Insights
Racial and ethnic disparities exist in acquiring upper respiratory infections (URIs) among children. However, these disparities do not affect infection severity or lung function, suggesting a potential link to asthma exacerbations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Epidemiology
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Racial and ethnic disparities in upper respiratory infection (URI) acquisition and lower respiratory manifestations remain unclear.
- Understanding these disparities is crucial for targeted public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate racial/ethnic disparities in URI risk among children aged 6-17 years.
- To determine if race/ethnicity influences URI-associated pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation or decreased lung function.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2007-2012.
- Inclusion of children and children with asthma aged 6-17 years.
- Evaluation of associations between race/ethnicity and URI, and URI-related lung function parameters.
Main Results:
- Black and Mexican American children showed higher odds of reporting URIs compared to White children.
- Black children with asthma had more than double the odds of reporting URIs compared to White children with asthma.
- No significant racial/ethnic differences were observed in URI-associated pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation or lung function.
Conclusions:
- Findings indicate potential racial and ethnic disparities in URI acquisition among children.
- Disparities in URI risk, particularly in children with asthma, may contribute to existing disparities in asthma exacerbations.
- Severity of infection and lung function outcomes do not appear to be influenced by race/ethnicity.
Background:
It is unclear whether there are racial/ethnic disparities in the risk of upper respiratory viral infection acquisition and/or lower respiratory manifestations.
Methods:
We studied all children and children with asthma aged 6 to 17 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2012) to evaluate (1) the association between race/ethnicity and upper respiratory infection (URI) and (2) whether race/ethnicity is a risk factor for URI-associated pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation or decreased lung function.
Results:
Children who identified as Black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.38; 95% CI, 1.10-1.75) and Mexican American (aOR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.16-1.94) were more likely to report a URI than those who identified as White. Among those with asthma, Black children were more than twice as likely to report a URI than White children (aOR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.31-3.95). Associations between URI and pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation or lung function did not differ by race/ethnicity.
Conclusions:
Findings suggest that there may be racial and ethnic disparities in acquiring a URI but not in the severity of infection. Given that upper respiratory viral infection is tightly linked to asthma exacerbations in children, differences in the risk of infection among children with asthma may contribute to disparities in asthma exacerbations.
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