Urban-rural differences in health care utilization and prescription filling for childhood asthma

Abstract

Despite lower asthma prevalence in rural compared with urban children, 1 Asher M.I. Montefort S. Bjorksten B. et al. Worldwide time trends in the prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema in childhood: ISAAC phases one and three repeat multicountry cross-sectional surveys. Lancet. 2006; 368: 733-743 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (3051) Google Scholar ,2 Lawson J.A. Rennie D.C. Cockcroft D.W. et al. Childhood asthma, asthma severity indicators, and related conditions along an urban-rural gradient: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pulm Med. 2017; 17: 4 Crossref PubMed Scopus (20) Google Scholar studies suggest that rural children have higher asthma morbidity and uncontrolled asthma. 2 Lawson J.A. Rennie D.C. Cockcroft D.W. et al. Childhood asthma, asthma severity indicators, and related conditions along an urban-rural gradient: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pulm Med. 2017; 17: 4 Crossref PubMed Scopus (20) Google Scholar , 3 Pesek R.D. Vargas P.A. Halterman J.S. Jones S.M. McCracken A. Perry T.T. A comparison of asthma prevalence and morbidity between rural and urban schoolchildren in Arkansas. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2010; 104: 125-131 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (43) Google Scholar , 4 Valet R.S. Gebretsadik T. Carroll K.N. et al. High asthma prevalence and increased morbidity among rural children in a Medicaid cohort. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2011; 106: 467-473 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (46) Google Scholar Investigation into potential differences in management and health care utilization after asthma diagnosis would help provide a better understanding of these results. Potential barriers to health care access in rural areas may contribute to poor management of asthma and help explain uncontrolled disease in these areas.