Uncontrolled Asthma Among Adults, 2019
60% of adults with current asthma had uncontrolled asthma
Uncontrolled asthma is associated with significant health and economic costs because of frequent and intense episodes of symptoms that may increase risk of emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and work and school absenteeism. Asthma control status was classified as well-controlled or uncontrolled asthma based on the national asthma guidelines. *
60.1% of adults with current asthma† had uncontrolled asthma. Percentage of uncontrolled asthma was higher among females (63.1%) than males (54.7%), Hispanics (70.1%) than non-Hispanic White adults (58.0%), and ages 55–64 years (65.5%) than ages 18–34 years (53.3%). No other significant differences were observed by demographic characteristics. The percentage of adults with uncontrolled asthma varies by state but does not seem to follow a specific geographic pattern. The percentage ranged from 41.7% in New Jersey to 72.4% in Missouri and Utah (See table).
Abbreviation: NH, Non-Hispanic; SE, Standard error; CI, confidence interval
| Characteristic | Percent | 95% CI | SE | y-error bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 54.7 | 50.7 – 58.6 | 2.03 | 4.0 |
| Female | 63.1 | 59.8 – 66.2 | 1.65 | 3.2 |
| 18–34 years | 53.3 | 47.4 – 59.2 | 3.00 | 5.9 |
| 35–54 years | 63.4 | 59.0 – 67.6 | 2.19 | 4.3 |
| 55–64 years | 65.5 | 60.8 – 69.9 | 2.34 | 4.6 |
| 65+ years | 58.4 | 54.1 – 62.6 | 2.16 | 4.2 |
| NH White | 58.0 | 55.0 – 60.9 | 1.51 | 3.0 |
| NH Black | 56.9 | 48.1 – 65.3 | 4.42 | 8.7 |
| Hispanic | 70.1 | 63.2 – 76.2 | 3.32 | 6.5 |
| NH Other | 62.7 | 53.8 – 70.8 | 4.36 | 8.5 |
| Adults with Current† and Uncontrolled Asthma* | ||
|---|---|---|
| STATE | % | 95% CI |
| Total** | 60.1 | 57.5–62.6 |
| AZ | 57.9 | 45.6–69.3 |
| CA | 61.1 | 53.4–68.3 |
| CT | 54.7 | 44.2–64.8 |
| FL | 67.8 | 58.6–75.8 |
| GA | 71.0 | 56.9–82.0 |
| HI | 49.6 | 40.1–59.1 |
| IL | 52.8 | 44.0–61.4 |
| IN | 62.5 | 54.0–70.3 |
| IA | 54.4 | 46.0–62.5 |
| KS | 60.4 | 51.8–68.4 |
| KY | 71.0 | 60.2–79.8 |
| ME | 60.0 | 51.3–68.0 |
| MA | 42.7 | 34.4–51.4 |
| MI | 60.7 | 54.0–67.1 |
| MN | 61.9 | 56.6–67.0 |
| MO | 72.4 | 63.5–79.9 |
| MT | 59.6 | 51.5–67.2 |
| NE | 58.6 | 50.9–66.0 |
| NV | 70.0 | 58.3–79.6 |
| NH | 55.9 | 47.8–63.6 |
| NJ | 41.7†† | 20.3–66.9 |
| NM | 66.6 | 54.2–77.1 |
| NY | 61.4 | 48.8–72.6 |
| OH | 62.3 | 54.2–69.7 |
| OR | 59.3 | 51.8–66.4 |
| PA | 55.0 | 46.0–63.6 |
| RI | 53.2 | 41.4–64.7 |
| TX | 60.8 | 49.0–71.5 |
| UT | 72.4 | 66.1–77.9 |
| VT | 54.3 | 43.5–64.7 |
| WI | 58.5 | 48.3–68.1 |
| PR | 58.8 | 49.5–67.4 |
Source: Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS)—Adult Asthma Call-back Survey Data, 2019
Note: data not available for [AL, AK, AR, CO, DC, DE, ID, LA, MD, MS, NC, ND, OK, SC, SD, TN, VA, WA, WV, WY]
*National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert panel report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, 2007. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7232/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK7232.pdf [PDF – 3.9 MB]
†Includes persons who answered “yes” to the questions: “Have you ever been told by a doctor, nurse, or other health professional that you had asthma?” and “Do you still have asthma?”
**Includes listed states and Puerto Rico.
††Unreliable estimate, RSE>0.30
