High prevalence of poor housing quality seen in children diagnosed with asthma and even higher prevalence seen in those with underdiagnosed asthma
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Oct. 3, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Routine screening of children for asthma symptoms in a population with high prevalence can improve diagnoses, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held from Sept. 26 to 30 in Denver.
Karen Ganacias, M.D., M.P.H., from MedStar Health in Washington, D.C., and colleagues assessed the prevalence of previously unrecognized asthma and identified associated home environment risks. The analysis included 650 children aged 2 years and older living in a high-prevalence urban area who were served by the Kids Medical Mobile Clinic and who completed the universal Asthma Risk and Control Screen.
The researchers found that 17.7 percent of participants had a previous ICD10 diagnosis of asthma. Just over one-third (35 percent) of individuals with no previous diagnosis of asthma reported at least one asthma risk factor, of which roughly one-quarter (24 percent) were subsequently diagnosed with asthma based on further clinical findings (representing 7.8 percent of all children screened). More than one-third (38 percent) of individuals who had a prior diagnosis of asthma also reported having home environment risks. More than half (52 percent) of individuals who reported asthma symptoms but did not have a diagnosis of asthma reported having poor housing quality.
“In populations with high asthma prevalence, routine screening for asthma symptoms and modifiable home environmental triggers can be an important first step to improving outcomes and decreasing disparities,” Ganacias said in a statement.
Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
