Trends in asthma prevalence, hospitalization risk, and inhaled corticosteroid use among alaska native and nonnative medicaid recipients younger than 20 years.
BACKGROUND: Few trend data on asthma prevalence exist for U.S. indigenous populations, and none exist for Alaska Natives. OBJECTIVE: To document the epidemiologic features of asthma in Alaska Natives and nonnatives stratified by urban (Anchorage) and rural (non-Anchorage) residence. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of Alaskans younger than 20 years enrolled in Medicaid during 1999 to 2002. Asthma was defined as a claim for International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes 493.0x to 493.9x plus asthma-associated medication during the same calendar year. RESULTS: Among 117,080 Medicaid enrollees, the 4-year asthma prevalence was 3.1% and was 40% to 90% greater for urban residents regardless of race. Yearly prevalence increased from 1.0% to 2.2% (P