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Published on: August 7, 2017
Socioeconomic determinants of outcomes in childhood asthma
Karl A Holden1, Daniel B Hawcutt2, Ian P Sinha3
1Lab to Life Child Health Data Centre, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK; Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Insights
Childhood asthma outcomes in the UK are poor, particularly for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Addressing these health inequalities is crucial to prevent child asthma deaths.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Asthma is the most prevalent chronic childhood illness.
- Children with asthma in the UK experience worse health outcomes compared to other high-income nations.
- Socioeconomic status significantly influences asthma prevalence and outcomes, including healthcare use, hospitalizations, critical care admissions, mortality, and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review socioeconomic inequalities in childhood asthma.
- To explore the mechanistic links underlying these disparities.
- To use the UK as a case study for poverty's impact on childhood asthma in a high-income country.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on socioeconomic factors and childhood asthma.
- Analysis of UK-specific data on asthma prevalence and outcomes.
- Examination of mechanisms linking poverty to asthma disparities.
Main Results:
- Significant socioeconomic inequalities exist in childhood asthma prevalence and outcomes in the UK.
- Poverty in a high-income country is a key driver of these disparities.
- Specific mechanisms connecting socioeconomic status to adverse asthma outcomes are identified.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the mechanisms of socioeconomic inequality is vital for improving childhood asthma outcomes.
- Clinicians, policymakers, and stakeholders must address these inequalities to prevent avoidable harm and asthma-related deaths in children.
- Targeted interventions are needed to mitigate the impact of poverty on childhood asthma in the UK.
Abstract:
Asthma is the commonest chronic condition of childhood. Children with asthma in the UK have the worst outcomes across Europe and other high-income countries. There are significant socioeconomic inequalities that impact the prevalence and outcomes of asthma (emergency healthcare utilisation, hospitalisation, critical care admission, mortality and quality of life). In this review we discuss these inequalities and the underlying mechanistic links, using the UK as an example of how poverty in a high-income country results in inequality in asthma outcomes. These inequalities and underlying mechanisms need to be understood by clinicians, policymakers and wider stakeholders to be redressed such that avoidable harm and asthma deaths in children can be prevented.
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