Prevalence Technical Notes
Prevalence
Adult:
Data Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2015
Data Tables:
Percentage of adults with current asthma by state/territory
Percentage of adults with current asthma by sex and state/territory
Percentage of adults with current asthma by age and state/territory
Percentage of adults with current asthma by race/ethnicity and state/territory
Adults were considered to have current asthma if they answered “yes” to both questions: “Has doctor {nurse or other health professional} EVER told you that that you had asthma?” and “Do you still have asthma?”
Current asthma prevalence percentages and counts represent the proportion and number of adults in the state population who reported ever been told that he/she has asthma and still has asthma.
Adult asthma prevalence data are from the BRFSS. More information on this survey can be found at: www.cdc.gov/brfss and https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/brfss/default.htm.
Child:
Data Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2015
Data Tables:
Percentage of children with current asthma by state/territory
Percentage of children with current asthma by sex and state/territory
Percentage of children with current asthma by age and state/territory
Percentage of children with current asthma by race and state/territory
Current asthma for children data are based on a randomly selected child from a household. If the interviewed adult reported that one or more children aged 17 years or younger lived in the household, then one of the children was randomly selected as the “sample” child. Questions from the Childhood Asthma Prevalence modules were then asked of the “sample” child.
Children were considered to have current asthma if proxy adults answered “yes” to both questions: “Has a doctor, nurse or other health professional EVER said that the child has asthma?”, and “Does the child still have asthma?”
Current asthma prevalence percentages and counts represent the proportion and number of children in the state population whose parents reported ever being told that child had asthma and still has asthma. More information can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/brfss/default.htm.
Definitions
Adults – Non-institutionalized civilians aged 18 years and older
Children – Non-institutionalized civilians aged 17 years and younger
Race – Racial data are collected as part of the core survey. At a minimum data collected identifies whether the individual is white, black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, allowing respondents to check multiple categories of race.
NACP grantees, total – Represents asthma prevalence estimate for 24 states and Puerto Rico participating in the NACP.
Unstable/Unreliable – Prevalence estimates are considered statistically unreliable when the relative standard error (RSE) of the estimate is between 30% and 50%.
Estimates with a RSE of 30–50% are presented in the data table, however noted with an asterisk (*) indicating the estimates are unstable/unreliable.
Suppressed – Prevalence estimates are suppressed when the RSE of the estimate is greater than 50% and were not shown. Two asterisks (**) in the data table were used to indicate suppression of the estimate.
Relative standard error (RSE) – Relative standard error is equal to the standard error of a survey estimate divided by the survey estimate and then multiplied by 100. The number is multiplied by 100 so it can be expressed as a percentage.
