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Racial Disparities in Asthma Care Revealed
28 May
Summary
- People of color use daily asthma inhalers less than white individuals.
- Lack of specialist access, driven by socioeconomic factors, is a key cause.
- Steroid inhaler use showed the widest gap among racial groups.
New research published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals significant disparities in asthma inhaler access among racial groups in the United States. Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans with asthma are less likely to use recommended daily controller inhalers than their white counterparts.
Researchers identified a lack of access to specialists, influenced by socioeconomic factors like income, education, insurance status, and healthcare access, as the primary drivers of these inequities. These factors are themselves affected by racial and ethnic disparities.
Despite increased health insurance coverage, these gaps persist. The study tracked data from over 1.1 million U.S. adults treated for asthma between 2014 and 2023. Notably, the widest difference in inhaler use was observed with steroid inhalers, which are typically more accessible and affordable.
This complexity underscores the challenge of achieving pharmacoequity in asthma treatment, where recommended therapies are not equally available to all patient populations.
