Racial and ethnic differences in childhood asthma treatment in the United States.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine racial-ethnic differences in asthma controller medication use among insured U.S. children.

Data sources

Linked nationally representative data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2005-2008), the 2000 Decennial Census, and the National Health Interview Survey (2004-2007).

Study design

The study quantifies the portion of racial-ethnic differences in children's controller use that are attributable to differences in need, enabling and predisposing characteristics.

Principal findings

Non-Hispanic black and Hispanic children were less likely to use controllers than non-Hispanic white children. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition results indicated that observable characteristics explain less than 40 percent of the overall differential in controller

SUBMITTER: Sarpong EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3876393 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature