Asthma is the most common cause of hospitalization for New York City children under age 14.
Health Effects of Air Pollution
Asthma is a common disease among NYC's children and adults. Over the past two decades, the number of New Yorkers with asthma has increased. It is the leading cause of missed school among children and is the most common cause of hospitalization for children 14 and younger. For adults, asthma causes missed work, emergency department visits and limitation of activity. asthma hospitalization rates in the city are higher than the national average, and significant racial and ethnic disparities exist.
To study the relationship between asthma and other respiratory illness hospitalizations, air pollution and weather, New York University School of Medicine is working with the NYC Health Department to monitor emergency department visits and ambulance dispatches, and how these factors are affected by the weather and ambient air quality. The results of this study will contribute to the NYC Health Department’s efforts to identify vulnerable subpopulations and contributors to environmental health risks, and has the potential to help shape the city's environmental health policies.