Although an apple a day may keep the doctor away, a recent study shows that the climbing
asthma rate in Filipino American children has jeopardized their health and the
future health of those to come.
A Healio article reveals findings from a study in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
found that different Asian ethnic groups fall into vastly different at-risk categories for developing
asthma.
Meng Cheng, MD and clinical assistant professor of allergy and immunology at Stanford
University, conducted the study using California survey data.
“We found that childhood lifetime asthma prevalence varied among Asian American ethnic
groups, with lowest prevalence in Korean American children and the highest prevalence in
Filipino American children,” Chen said.
Also reported in the Inquirer.net, Korean Americans had an asthma prevalence of 5.1%
compared to Filipino Americans’ who had an asthma prevalence at 21.5%. A noticeable disparity
between the two Asian ethnic groups, that without a resolution could threaten the future health of
many Filipino American children.
The Lancet reported that the serious public health issue begins in the womb, when pregnant
women are exposed to pollutants, like tobacco smoke. Filipino people are among one of the
highest groups of smokers, which may be a contributor to this pressing issue.
However, there is yet no data explicitly showing why Filipino American children are at a higher
risk of developing asthma.
“Our research highlights the importance of and need for disaggregating Asian American ethnic
groups to better understand distinct clinical features,” Chen said.
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