Asthma
Sensitive Population Indicator
Measures asthma emergency department visits—a marker of respiratory vulnerability that air pollution can trigger and worsen.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a disease that affects the lungs and makes it hard to breathe. Symptoms include breathlessness, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness. The causes of asthma are unknown but genetic and environmental factors can be involved.
More than three million Californians currently have asthma and nearly six million Californians have been diagnosed with it at some point in their lives. Asthma is the leading cause of chronic disease and missed school days in children. African Americans and people with low incomes visit hospitals for asthma more often than other groups.
Why is it included in CalEnviroScreen?
- Outdoor air pollution can trigger asthma attacks and worsen symptoms.
- People with asthma can be especially vulnerable to complications from respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia and the flu.
How is it measured?
- The indicator represents the number of asthma emergency department visits per 10,000 people for the years 2022 and 2023.
- The California Department of Health Care Access and Information collects information on emergency department visits and hospitalizations related to asthma in California.
- Asthma emergency department data are currently the best available way of describing differences in asthma across the state at the census tract level.
