University HIA Report: Pediatric Asthma in East Harlem, NYC

This report provides a background analysis for a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) focusing on the prevalence of pediatric asthma among children aged 0-17 years in East Harlem, New York City. It highlights that pediatric asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder triggered by allergens and the data from 2015, revealing that 13% of children under 12 years in NYC were diagnosed with asthma. The report also highlights the racial disparities, with Black and Latino children having a higher likelihood of being diagnosed. The study also addresses the high rates of asthma-related hospitalizations and emergency visits in East Harlem compared to other parts of NYC and the socioeconomic factors contributing to the problem, such as poverty and poor housing conditions. The HIA aims to understand the factors leading to these conditions and improve asthma treatment programs. The report references key studies and data sources to support its findings.

Running head: HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT (HIA) REPORT
HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT (HIA) REPORT
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Prevalence of pediatric asthma among children ages 0- 17-years in East Harlem, New
York City
Background
Pediatric asthma is stated to be a chronic disorder that is characterized by hyper-
reactivity and inflammation in the airway of the respiratory tracts that is triggered when
exposed by allergens such as pests, mold, pollen, smoke, air pollution, violence or increase in
stress level (Hughes et al., 2017). In 2015, there were 13% of children under the age of 12
years and less from New York City (NYC) that are diagnosed with asthma. The city is
culturally diverse; as a result, the prevalence of different groups can be observed where the
Black children have five times more likelihood (22%), and Latino children have three times
the possibility of being diagnosed with asthma (15%) than the Whites (Nyc.gov, 2017). The
percentage of Asian children acquiring asthma was found to be 10% that indicates that racial
inequalities in the case of asthma-related death in the city. In the period of 2010 to 2014, 57
deaths among children aging 1 to 14 years due to asthma-related issues and 50 were either
Black or Latino (Jean-Louis & Benitez, 2017). The scenario is more prevalent in some of the
areas in New York City; for example, children residing in East Harlem were found to
experience a higher frequency of records with respect to asthma-related hospitalizations and
emergency visits.
As per the opinion of Yonas et al. (2017), the rate of asthma-related hospitalization
was 2.2 higher among pediatric patients living in East Harlem than others in the other parts of
NYC. On the other hand, the emergency department visits were 2.4 times higher among the
concerned population that indicates that 620 vs. 255 per 10,000 children. East Harlem is a
culturally diverse area that is primarily comprised of Black (31%) and Latino (50%)
population (Nyc.gov, 2017). Among the entire community, 31% live below the poverty level

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and the life expectancy of the residents was found to be nine years shorter than the Upper
East Side, which is predominantly composed of Whites. As per the study, the children that
live in poor neighborhoods have the highest burden of the disease and thus, there is a likely of
four time’s higher hospitalization rate for asthma or asthma-related issue as compared to
children living in a wealthy neighborhood (Woods, 2016). From the study conducted on East
Harlem, it was found that 76% of the homes occupied by renter had maintained issues that
include cracks, holes, and leaks leading to deteriorating living conditions for the residents.
In response to the current scenario of the residents of East Harlem related to asthma,
the HIA will evaluate the prevalence of pediatric asthma among the children of age group 0
to 17 years in East Harlem, NYC. The intention of the proposal is to understand the factors
that lead to such deteriorating conditions among the children of East Harlem in order to
improve the knowledge and utilization of programs to enhance the treatments related to
asthma. The review of relevant data related to prevailing condition of asthma-related issue in
the concerned geographic location and connecting with the stakeholder to enhance the quality
of life among the children suffering from pediatric asthma.

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References
Hughes, H. K., Matsui, E. C., Tschudy, M. M., Pollack, C. E., & Keet, C. A. (2017). Pediatric
asthma health disparities: race, hardship, housing, and asthma in a national
survey. Academic pediatrics, 17(2), 127-134.
Jean-Louis, B., & Benitez, L. (2017). Creating a Village that Nurtures Children at the Harlem
Children’s Zone. In Strengthening Families, Communities, and Schools to Support
Children's Development (pp. 135-157). Routledge.
Nyc.gov. (2017). Childhood Asthma and the Asthma Counselor Program of the East Harlem
Asthma Center of Excellence. Retrieved 15 March 2020, from
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/databrief90.pdf
Woods, E.R., 2016. Community asthma initiative to improve health outcomes and reduce
disparities among children with asthma. MMWR supplements, 65.
Yonas, M., Zuberi, A., Kasunic, A., Bamwine, P., Boddie, S., Tharp-Gilliam, S. and Wallace,
J., 2017. Using Concept Mapping to Explore and Engage Parent and Youth Residents
of an Economically Underserved Minority Community around Children's
Asthma. Progress in community health partnerships: research, education, and
action, 11(4), pp.333-345.