The Intersection of Race/Ethnicity and Rurality in Pediatric Asthma: Trends and Predictors

Chronic lower respiratory diseases are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., with asthma being one of the primary conditions in this group of diseases. The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy has supported examinations of pediatric asthma previously. This project provided a more contemporary examination of the pediatric asthma burden across the urban-rural continuum. Using the National Inpatient Sample data from 2015-2019, we identified significant associations of pediatric asthma hospitalizations, taking into account the intersection of race, ethnicity, insurance status, patients' residence, age, and sex.

Publications

• National Trends in Potentially Preventable Hospital Admissions for Pediatric Asthma, 2016-2020
  Policy Brief
  Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 04/2026
  This brief examines the trends in potentially preventable hospitalizations for asthma between 2016 and 2020 among children aged 2 to 17, using nationally representative data. The brief also describes the demographic and rural/urban disparities in these trends, with particular focus on the intersection between both.