About the Data
Pediatric asthma data represent students in kindergarten through 8th grade only. The number of children reported with asthma are based on the medical history of the children provided by the family, therefore undiagnosed and unreported asthma cases are not included.
School-level prevalence estimates are based on all children attending that school, which may include students from multiple cities/towns. In addition, prevalence estimates are based on the school or residential location of the students and not necessarily where the source of exposure to environmental pollutants takes place.
As you look at data on this webpage, you may see differences among population groups. The differences are especially noticeable between white people and people of color.
These differences exist because of structural racism. These differences are NOT because of an individual’s choices, behaviors, or identity.
Systems of oppression, such as racism, cause harm to everyone. They also influence the social determinants of health (SDoH), which impact health outcomes. See Figure 1.
It is important to keep these notes in mind when looking at the data and using it to inform public health efforts.
If you decide to share these data, remember to use racial equity context and framing. The DPH Racial Equity Data Road Map is one resource that can help.
About Pediatric Asthma Data
Pediatric asthma data are collected from approximately 1,800 public, private, and charter schools in Massachusetts in order to learn how much asthma exists among students in kindergarten through 8th grade. School nurses report the number of children with asthma by gender and by grade, as well as by the city/town where the students live. Response rates among schools are close to 100%, resulting in a dataset that includes nearly all cases of asthma in students in grades K-8.
Pediatric asthma data can be used to learn about the statewide occurrence of asthma in Massachusetts, and to identify which communities may have higher rates of asthma than others. It can also be used to look at asthma trends over time. Also, please keep in mind that a variety of non-environmental factors, such as access to medical care, can impact the prevalence of asthma.