Asthma and Fair or Poor Health

More adults with asthma than adults without asthma have fair or poor health

Percentage of Fair or Poor Health among Adults with Asthma

Percentage of Fair or Poor Health among Adults

Individuals’ self-rating of their health is a reliable predictor of their health and health services use. BRFSS assesses general health status by asking survey respondents to rate their health from excellent to poor (excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor).

Percentage of Fair or Poor Health among Adults

A greater percentage of adults with asthma^* reported fair or poor health (33.1%) than did adults without asthma (15.9%). Self-reported fair or poor health varied by state. The percentage of adults with asthma who reported fair or poor health ranged from 22.4% in Idaho to 56.7% in Puerto Rico (see table).

CDC’s National Asthma Control Program (NACP) was created in 1999 to help the millions of people with asthma in the United States gain control over their disease. The NACP conducts national asthma surveillance and funds states to help them improve their asthma surveillance and to focus efforts and resources where they are needed.

^*Includes persons who answered “yes” to the questions: “Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional EVER told you that you had any of the following: (Ever told) you had asthma?” and “Do you still have asthma?”

Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2015

Download this AsthmaStats Factsheet [PDF – 319 KB] containing additional information.