Please note!

This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Do Black Americans suffer from asthma at a higher rate than white Americans?

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

By Lisa Freedland

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YES

Black Americans are both more likely to suffer from asthma than white Americans and more likely to be hospitalized and die from the respiratory disease.

Using survey health data from the Centers for Disease Control, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health reported that Black Americans were 40% more likely to have asthma than white Americans in 2018. The office also found that Black children were five times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than white children in 2017 and that Black Americans were almost three times more likely to die from asthma than white Americans in 2019.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, while genetics and individual behavior contribute to this disparity, social determinants are the largest factor. For example, Black neighborhoods tend to have higher rates of air pollution and poorer quality hospitals.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Office of Minority Health Asthma and African Americans

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America 2020 Asthma Disparities in America

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.