AI Insight
This cross-sectional study used data from 6- to 17-year-olds in the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (2007-2012) to examine why Black and Mexican American children report upper respiratory infections at higher rates than White children. Socioeconomic status, particularly rental housing and income below twice the poverty level, accounted for approximately 36% and 29% of the excess URI risk in Black and Mexican American children, respectively, while obesity and nicotine exposure explained little to none of this disparity. These findings held consistent in the subgroup of children with asthma, for whom upper respiratory infections are a primary trigger of exacerbations.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that housing policy and poverty reduction efforts may be meaningful levers for reducing racial and ethnic disparities in respiratory illness among children, including those with asthma. Addressing structural socioeconomic factors, rather than behavioral or biological ones alone, appears central to narrowing these health gaps.
⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Objective: Upper respiratory infections (URI) are the major trigger of asthma exacerbations in children with asthma and are more likely to be reported by Black and Mexican American children compared to White children in the US. We aimed to evaluate the extent to which obesity, nicotine exposure, household size, and socioeconomic status (SES) explained this excess URI risk among all children and among children with asthma. Study Design: Data collected on children aged 6-17 years from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (2007-2012) were analyzed using survey weights and a mediation approach. Household SES was analyzed as a cumulative score reflecting income poverty ratio, education, and rental housing. URI was defined as cough, cold, phlegm, runny nose, or other respiratory illness (excluding hay fever and allergies) in the past 7 days. Results: Obesity and serum cotinine, a marker of nicotine exposure, explained little to none of the excess risk of URI while SES explained 36.4% (95% CI=34.1, 38.6) in Black and 28.5% (95% CI=26.7, 30.5) in Mexican American children. Living in rental housing and income poverty ratio<2, explained half (49.6%, 95% CI=46.9-52.3) and 20% (19.7%, 95% CI=18.9-20.5) of the excess URI risk among Black children, respectively. In Mexican American children, rental housing and low educational attainment each explained approximately 15-17% of the excess URI risk. Results were comparable among children with asthma. Conclusions: Markers of poverty, such as rental housing, contributed substantially to the excess risk of URI among Black and Mexican American children, including among those with asthma.
Source: Rental housing may contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in upper respiratory infections