Health disparities are pervasive in the United States. Health and health care disparities are the differences or gaps in health (eg, life expectancy, morbidity, risk factors, and quality of life) and health care access and quality between segments of the United States population as related to race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (eg, income, education). Multiple factors are associated with such disparities in asthma management and education. This article explores some of those factors and summarizes the strategies developed and interventions implemented to address disparities associated with asthma care and education among racial and ethnic minority children. It also discusses the need for further research to identify effective asthma education approaches for improving the management of asthma among racial and ethnic minority children. More exploration of the root causes of health care disparities, including policy studies in the area of social determinates of health and health equity, is also needed.
Keywords: asthma education; child asthma management; environmental factors; health care disparities; race/ethnicity.