Alameda County asthma rate grim

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, May 5, 2004 | by Rebecca Vesely, STAFF WRITER

Alameda County has the second-highest rate of asthma hospitalizations in the state -- with the majority centered around Oakland and Berkeley, accord-

ing to a report released Tues-

day.

In Oakland, children require hospitalization for severe asthma attacks at a rate four times higher than the state average. In Berkeley, the hospitalization rate was 2.5 times higher than statewide.

Severe asthma is especially prevalent among African Americans. In Alameda County, African-American children have the highest asthma hospitalization rates in the state. Among blacks of all age groups, the hospitalization rate is four times higher than the general population in the county.

"The good thing is asthma is very manageable," said Paul Cummings, chairman of the Oakland Berkeley Asthma Coalition, which authored the report. "The bad thing is asthma keeps people awake at night, it costs us millions in direct medical costs, and it's affecting people disproportionately."

The coalition -- made up of health care providers, community groups and public officials -- used hospitalization data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development for the report. Emergency room visits were not included unless patients were admitted to the hospital.

Over the three-year period from 1999 to 2001, there were more than 7,400 hospitalizations in Alameda County for asthma -- about 4,100 of those were among Berkeley and Oakland residents. Direct medical costs added up to more than $13 million.

Children are especially affected -- more than half of Oakland and Berkeley residents hospitalized for asthma were under age 15. One- quarter of youth were hospitalized more than once in a year for asthma, according to the report.

Across the state, asthma has become common in schoolyards. About one-quarter of California youth aged 6 to 17 have been diagnosed with asthma -- or about 1 million children. Of those, 70 percent experienced asthma symptoms within the past year.

The report, released as part of World Asthma Day, noted

that asthma hospitalization rates declined slightly in Alameda County since the mid-1990s. Alarmingly, however, rates have increased significantly in certain neighborhoods.

The highest rates were in downtown Oakland; west, east and north Oakland; and Emeryville. Other areas significantly affected were the Berkeley flatlands; Oakland Holy Names and Merritt College areas; and the Fruitvale District.

Those areas with the biggest hospitalization increases were in Alameda, Piedmont, south Berkeley and west and east Oakland.

By contrast, the largest decreases in asthma hospitalizations were in Berkeley's south campus area, west Berkeley and the Grand Lake area of Oakland.

The report authors speculate that proximity to freeways, lack of health care and cramped, older housing account for higher rates in certain areas.

In particular, the I-880 and

I-80 corridors are busy freeways with lots of diesel truck traffic and more industry.

The estimated 40,000 people in the county without health insurance are more at risk of experiencing severe asthma attacks.

"Based on the huge numbers of people without health insurance in Alameda County we can say that does have an impact," Cummings said. "Asthma is a chronic condition that responds best to regular maintenance."

Aiming to address this issue of maintenance, Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Oakland, authored a bill that would require schools to keep on file an asthma action plan for each child with the condition. The bill, AB 2367, would also require schools to train staff yearly on asthma symptoms and treatment. The bill will be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee today.

Contact Rebecca Vesely at

rvesely@angnewspapers.com .