Impact of COVID-19 on Pediatric Asthma-related Healthcare Utilization in New York City: A Community-Based Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Emerging data suggests that during the Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic care for chronic health conditions, such as asthma, decreased. Nationally, children were 84% less likely to seek care for asthma in emergency departments during the initial stages of the pandemic compared to the same period in 2019; little is known about the various barriers to asthma-related care for children during this time. Here, we aim to understand the impact of COVID-19 on two adjacent neighborhoods with historic differences in social determinants of health by evaluating their access and need for acute and chronic healthcare in New York City (NYC) during the pandemic. METHODS: We will conduct a community-based participatory survey of families in each neighborhood: 25 families from East Harlem (EH) and 25 families from the Upper East Side (UES). There are documented disparities in asthma-related health outcomes between these neighborhoods, where the prevalence of asthma is 3.5 times greater in school-aged children in EH compared to the UES. We will include families with children who have active asthma between 5 and 17 years of age. This survey will evaluate differences in environmental conditions, including the built environment, social determinants of health and health care utilization during the first 6 months of the pandemic (March 1st through August 31st 2020). RESULTS:We will present survey responses and analyze the differences in environmental exposures, social determinants of health and healthcare utilization during the pandemic in each respective neighborhood. CONCLUSIONS:Our community-based survey results will identify differences regarding environmental exposures as well as barriers and facilitators to healthcare during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in two distinct neighborhoods in NYC. These data provide an initial step in identifying potential areas of concern to inform future public health interventions and clinical responses to optimize care in vulnerable communities. KEYWORDS: Asthma, Respiratory outcomes, Children's environmental health, Environmental disparities, Socio-economic factors (non-chemical stressors),COVID-19