Racial influences associated with asthma management among children in the United States.

OBJECTIVE To examine the influence of race and having an asthma management plan on the impact of experiencing asthmatic episodes. METHODS This study utilized the 2002 and 2003 National Health Interview Survey to conduct a retrospective study and secondary data analysis. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis was performed to examine physician asthma management plan recommendations among minority and non-minority children in the United States. RESULTS Most of the study participants (59%) reported not having an asthma management plan. Children who experienced an asthma episode in the past 12 months were less likely to have an asthma management plan (OR .51, P<.0001). In the multivariate analysis, Whites were significantly more likely than were Blacks and Hispanics to have an asthma management plan (OR 1.66, P=.0031). CONCLUSIONS Findings from this study indicate that Black and Hispanic children with asthma are less likely to have an asthma management plan, and children with an asthma management plan are less likely to have had asthma episodes in the past 12 months. Requiring all insurers to provide an asthma management plan to children with asthma may reduce these race-based inequities.