Epidemiology of Asthma and Influence of Ethnicity

Theo J. Moraes; Malcolm R. Sears; Padmaja Subbarao

doi:10.1055/s-0037-1618568

Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Table of Contents

Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2018; 39(01): 003-011
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1618568

Review Article

Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Epidemiology of Asthma and Influence of Ethnicity

Theo J. Moraes

¹Divison of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

,

Malcolm R. Sears

²Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

,

Padmaja Subbarao

¹Divison of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Asthma is a heterogeneous disorder with a complex etiology. Prevalence rates for asthma have been increasing in many countries over the past few decades. While it is unclear why this increase is occurring, the variation reported in asthma prevalence and severity associated with ethnicity offers some insight into the determinants of asthma. In this chapter, we discuss the data linking asthma to ethnicity and some of the factors that may explain this association. These include socioeconomic status, environmental exposures, the host microbiome, and genetics. A better understanding of these processes may inform future mechanistic studies and identify modifiable risk factors for targeted health care interventions.

Keywords

asthma - ethnicity - microbiome - hygiene hypothesis - epidemiology

Full Text

References

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