The following is a summary of “Asthma morbidity measures across Black ethnic subgroups,” published in the February 2024 issue of Allergy & Immunology by Ishmael, et al.
Asthma disproportionately affects Black adults, yet research often overlooked cultural and ancestral differences within this group. For a study, researchers sought to explore potential differences in asthma morbidity among Black ethnic subgroups.
For the PREPARE trial, participants with moderate-severe asthma were recruited across the United States and Puerto Rico. Multiethnic Black (ME/B) participants were categorized as Black Latinx or other Black subgroups, while African American (AA/B) participants were identified by American ethnicity. Baseline characteristics and retrospective asthma morbidity measures were compared using multivariable regression.
ME/B participants, compared to AA/B participants, were younger, more often located in the US Northeast, Spanish-speaking, and had lower body mass index and health literacy but higher blood eosinophil counts. In multivariable analysis, ME/B participants had significantly higher rates of emergency department/urgent care (ED/UC) visits (IRR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.04-1.72) and systemic corticosteroid (SC) use (IRR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.00-1.62) for asthma. Specifically, Puerto Rican Black Latinx participants had significantly elevated rates of ED/UC visits (IRR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.22-2.21) and SC use (IRR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.06-1.92) compared to AA/B participants. However, there were no significant differences in hospitalizations for asthma among subgroups.
ME/B adults, particularly Puerto Rican Black Latinx adults, exhibited a higher risk of ED/UC visits and SC use for asthma compared to other Black subgroups. The findings underscored the importance of considering ethnic diversity within the Black population when addressing asthma morbidity.
Reference: jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(23)01470-7/abstract