TY - JOUR
T1 - Ethnic and migrant differences in the use of anti-asthmatic medication for children
T2 - the effect of place of residence
AU - Cantarero-Arévalo, Lourdes
AU - Ersbøll, Annette Kjaer
AU - Holstein, Bjørn E
AU - Andersen, Anette
AU - Kaae, Susanne Stadsgaard
AU - Hansen, Ebba Holme
N1 - Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PY - 2014/1
Y1 - 2014/1
N2 - Background: Ethnic differences in the use of anti-asthmatic medication have been reported, with ethnic minorities being at a higher risk of suboptimal asthma control. As contextual socioeconomic characteristics may play a role, we analysed whether ethnic differences in the use of anti-asthmatic medication among children residing in the Capital Region of Denmark varied by place of residence. Methods: Data were obtained from the Danish Civil Registration System, the Central Taxpayers' Register and the Danish National Prescription Register and were linked at the individual level. Population used was the entire child population in the Capital Region from 0 to 17years old in 2008 (n=342403). Use of anti-asthma medicine was defined as at least one prescription having been filled in 2008. The analyses included multiple multilevel logistic regression models. Results: Children living in low-income places of residence had lower odds of being prescribed preventive anti-asthmatics compared with children living in higher-income places of residence [odds ratio (OR)=0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84-0.91]. Immigrant children had the lowest OR of being prescribed anti-asthmatics medication, both relief (OR=0.50, 95% CI 0.20-0.77) and preventive (OR=0.47, 95% CI 0.24-0.82) compared with ethnic Danes. Similar associations were found among descendants of immigrant children (OR for preventive medication=0.70, 95% CI 0.62-0.78). Place of residence contributed to but did not account for the ethnic differences in the use of anti-asthmatic medication. Conclusions: Ethnic differences in the use of anti-asthmatic medication were documented, and they cannot be explained by socioeconomic characteristics of place of residence. The lower prevalence of anti-asthmatic medication among ethnic minority children suggests poor asthma management control.
AB - Background: Ethnic differences in the use of anti-asthmatic medication have been reported, with ethnic minorities being at a higher risk of suboptimal asthma control. As contextual socioeconomic characteristics may play a role, we analysed whether ethnic differences in the use of anti-asthmatic medication among children residing in the Capital Region of Denmark varied by place of residence. Methods: Data were obtained from the Danish Civil Registration System, the Central Taxpayers' Register and the Danish National Prescription Register and were linked at the individual level. Population used was the entire child population in the Capital Region from 0 to 17years old in 2008 (n=342403). Use of anti-asthma medicine was defined as at least one prescription having been filled in 2008. The analyses included multiple multilevel logistic regression models. Results: Children living in low-income places of residence had lower odds of being prescribed preventive anti-asthmatics compared with children living in higher-income places of residence [odds ratio (OR)=0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84-0.91]. Immigrant children had the lowest OR of being prescribed anti-asthmatics medication, both relief (OR=0.50, 95% CI 0.20-0.77) and preventive (OR=0.47, 95% CI 0.24-0.82) compared with ethnic Danes. Similar associations were found among descendants of immigrant children (OR for preventive medication=0.70, 95% CI 0.62-0.78). Place of residence contributed to but did not account for the ethnic differences in the use of anti-asthmatic medication. Conclusions: Ethnic differences in the use of anti-asthmatic medication were documented, and they cannot be explained by socioeconomic characteristics of place of residence. The lower prevalence of anti-asthmatic medication among ethnic minority children suggests poor asthma management control.
KW - Asthma medication
KW - Children
KW - Denmark
KW - Minority group
KW - Multilevel analysis
KW - Pharmacoepidemiology
U2 - 10.1002/pds.3541
DO - 10.1002/pds.3541
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 24395546
SN - 1053-8569
VL - 23
SP - 95
EP - 104
JO - Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
JF - Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
IS - 1
ER -