Asthma

(Data are for the U.S.)

 

Morbidity

• Number of noninstitutionalized adults who currently have asthma: 18.9 million
• Percent of noninstitutionalized adults who currently have asthma: 8.2%

Source: Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2011, table 3, 4 [PDF - 1.3 MB]

• Number of children who currently have asthma: 7.1 million
• Percent of children who currently have asthma: 9.5%

Source:  Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2011, table 1 [PDF - 711 KB]

 

Health care use

Ambulatory care

• Number of visits to hospital outpatient departments with asthma as primary diagnosis: 1.3 million
  

Source: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2010 Outpatient Department Summary Tables, table 11 [PDF - 330 KB]

• Number of visits to emergency departments with asthma as primary diagnosis: 1.8 million

Source: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2010 Emergency Department Summary Tables, table 12 [PDF - 481 KB]

Hospital inpatient care

• Number of discharges with asthma as first-listed diagnosis: 439,000
• Average length of stay: 3.6 days

Source: National Hospital Discharge Survey: 2010 table, Average length of stay and days of care – Number and rate of discharges by first-listed diagnostic categories [PDF - 58 KB]

 

Mortality

• Number of deaths: 3,404
• Deaths per 100,000 population:  1.1

Source: Deaths: Final Data for 2010, tables 10, 11 [PDF - 3.1 MB]

 

More data

• Asthma in the US: Growing every year
• Early release of selected estimates from the National Health Interview Survey
• MMWR Vital Signs: Asthma Prevalence, Disease Characteristics, and Self-Management Education—United States, 2001—2009
• National Surveillance of Asthma: United States, 2001–2010 [PDF - 910 KB]
• National Surveillance for Asthma --- United States, 1980--2004, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summary
• Search Tables for Asthma in Health Data Interactive
• Trends in Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use, and Mortality in the United States, 2001–2010