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Racial and Ethnic Identity and Vulnerability to Upper Respiratory Viral Infections Among US Children

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether there are racial/ethnic disparities in the risk of upper respiratory viral infection acquisition and/or lower respiratory manifestations. METHODS: We studied all children and children with asthma aged 6 to 17 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2012) to evaluate (1) the association between race/ethnicity and upper respiratory infection (URI) and (2) whether race/ethnicity is a risk factor for URI-associated pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation or decreased lung function. RESULTS: Children who identified as Black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.38; 95% CI, 1.10-1.75) and Mexican American (aOR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.16-1.94) were more likely to report a URI than those who identified as White. Among those with asthma, Black children were more than twice as likely to report a URI than White children (aOR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.31-3.95). Associations between URI and pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation or lung function did not differ by race/ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that there may be racial and ethnic disparities in acquiring a URI but not in the severity of infection. Given that upper respiratory viral infection is tightly linked to asthma exacerbations in children, differences in the risk of infection among children with asthma may contribute to disparities in asthma exacerbations.

Source: The Journal of Infectious Diseases

DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad459

Authors: Darlene Bhavnani, Matthew Wilkinson, Sarah E Chambliss, Emily A Croce, Paul J Rathouz, Elizabeth C Matsui

Institutions: The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas

Language: English

Topic: Asthma and respiratory diseases

Subfield: Physiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green