Definition

Individuals with current asthma who responded 'yes' to questions regarding asthma management. Current asthma includes individuals who reported having been told by a doctor that they have asthma and who currently have asthma.

Numerator

Total number of individuals who responded 'yes' to asthma management questions.

Denominator

Includes all survey respondents except those with missing, don't know, or refused answers to the asthma management questions.

Data Interpretation Issues

In 2011, the BRFSS changed its methodology from a landline-only sample and weighting based on post-stratification to a landline/cell phone sample and raking as the weighting methodology. Raking accounts for variables such as income, education, marital status, and homeownership during weighting.

Why Is This Important?

Asthma is a serious personal and public health issue that has far-reaching medical, economic, and psychosocial implications. The burden of asthma can be seen in the number of asthma-related medical events, including emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths.

What Is Being Done?

The Utah Asthma Program (UAP) works with the Utah Asthma Task Force and other partners to maximize the reach, impact, efficiency, and sustainability of comprehensive asthma control services in Utah. This is accomplished by providing a seamless alignment of asthma services across the public health and healthcare sector, ensuring that people with asthma receive all of the services they need. The UAP focuses on building program infrastructure and implementing strategies that improve asthma control, reduce asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations, and reduce health care costs. Program infrastructure is strengthened through a focus on strategies to create and support a comprehensive asthma control program, these strategies include: strengthening leadership, building strategic partnerships, and using strategic communication, surveillance, and evaluation. In addition, the UAP implements strategies outlined in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) EXHALE technical package to improve asthma control. The six strategy areas outlined in the EXHALE technical package are:[[br]] 1. Education on asthma self-management.[[br]] 2. e-Xtinguishing smoking and secondhand smoke.[[br]] 3. Home visits for trigger reduction and asthma self-management.[[br]] 4. Achievement of guidelines-based medical management.[[br]] 5. Linkages and coordination of care across settings.[[br]] 6. Environmental policies or best practices to reduce asthma triggers from indoor, outdoor, and occupational sources. These strategies are expected to improve asthma control and quality of life by increasing access to healthcare and increasing coordination and coverage for comprehensive asthma control services both in the public health and healthcare sectors. Specifically, these strategies include identifying people with poorly controlled asthma, linking them to healthcare providers and NAEPP EPR-3 guidelines-based care, educating them on asthma self-management strategies, providing a supportive school environment, and referring to or providing home trigger reduction services for those who need them.

Available Services

A list of Utah Asthma Program services for clinicians, community health workers, and people with asthma can be found here: [https://asthma.utah.gov/] Additionally, individual programs in the Office Health Promotion and Prevention provide information and education to citizens, physicians, and healthcare providers on chronic conditions. Resources can be found here: [https://dhhs.utah.gov/office-of-health-promotion-and-prevention/]

Health Program Information

Utah Asthma Program website: [https://asthma.utah.gov/] CDC EXHALE package: [https://www.cdc.gov/national-asthma-control-program/php/exhale/index.html]

Relevant Population Characteristics

People with well controlled asthma should not experience symptoms such as wheezing or coughing, lost sleep, missed work or school days, inability to participate in physical activities, and hospitalizations due to asthma.

In Utah during 2021-2022, about 27% of adults with asthma were unable to work or carry out usual activities because of their asthma.

Data Notes

Data includes those with current asthma. Adults were unable to work or carry out usual activities at least 1 day in the past 12 months due to their asthma.

Data Source

Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Call-back Survey

Data Notes

Data includes those with current asthma.

Data Source

Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Call-back Survey

Data Notes

Data includes those with current asthma. Two years were combined for each data point to provide reliable estimates. [*]Several studies unexpectedly found a reduction in poor asthma outcomes among children during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 (1,2). These studies concluded public health measures like social distancing, mask-wearing, school closures, and stay-at-home orders resulted in reduced exposure to respiratory viruses and reduced asthma exacerbations (1,2). 1. Ulrich L, Macias C, George A, Bai S, Allen E. Unexpected decline in pediatric asthma morbidity during the coronavirus pandemic. Pediatric Pulmonology. 2021; 56(7): 1951-1956. [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppul.25406]. 2. Akelma Z, Baskaya N, Cetin S, Bostanci I, Ozmen S. Improvement in school-aged children with asthma during the Covid-19 pandemic. Pediatric Pulmonology. 2022; 57(10): 2518-2523. [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppul.26068].

Data Source

Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Call-back Survey

In Utah during 2021-2022, about 17% of adults with asthma limited their activity due to asthma.

Data Notes

Data includes those with current asthma. Percentage of respondents who reported limiting their activity due to asthma in the past 30 days "a moderate amount" or "a lot". *Use caution in interpreting. The estimate has a coefficient of variation >30% and is therefore deemed unreliable by Utah Department of Health and Human Services standards.

Data Source

Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Call-back Survey

In Utah during 2021-2022, 57% of adults (18+) with asthma had an asthma attack in the past 12 months.

Data Notes

Data includes those with current asthma.

Data Source

Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Call-back Survey

In Utah during 2021-2022, 24% of adults (18+) with asthma had ever received an asthma action plan.

Data Notes

Percentages include those who responded "yes" to the question "Has a doctor or other health professional EVER given you an asthma action plan?"

Data Source

Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Call-back Survey

In Utah during 2021-2022, about 72% of adults with asthma were taught what to do during an asthma attack.

Data Notes

Data includes those with current asthma.

Data Source

Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Call-back Survey