Rural-Urban Differences in Pediatric Asthma Presentation and Outcomes, 2016-2021.
Rural pediatric asthma hospitalizations more likely to require ventilation than urban ones
Rural-Urban Differences in Pediatric Asthma Presentation and Outcomes, 2016-2021.
Asthma remains one of the public health challenges in children and is usually managed outpatient, but hospitalization, when needed, is a costly, prolonged, and disruptive event for families.
This study examined the presentation and clinical outcomes of hospitalization for pediatric acute asthma among rural children compared with urban.
We performed multivariable regression analyses to determine whether rurality was associated with the outcomes of ventilation, length of stay, and total costs.
rural asthma admissions had higher odds of needing mechanical ventilation
From 2016 to 2021, the proportion of acute asthma was 1.2% among urban hospitalized children and 0.8% among rural hospitalized children.
The percentage of rural children hospitalized in urban areas compared with rural hospitals was higher in 2019 (18.5% vs 16.2%), 2020 (9.4% vs 6.3%), and 2021 (14.4% vs 9.7%).
Given the higher risk of morbidity associated with acute asthma hospitalizations, it is critical to implement tailored primary care, asthma management education, and policies that address the unique factors contributing to higher asthma morbidity in rural areas.