Health And Wellbeing
Prevalence of Children with Asthma
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Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health

What does this measure?

This measures the prevalence of asthma among children in grades K-8, as reported by schools to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Why is this important?

Asthma is a serious condition that inflames the lungs and airways, making it difficult for a child to breathe. It can be triggered by physical activity or environmental factors. Asthma causes physical and social challenges that may result in a lowered potential for learning, fatigue, or an overall feeling of frustration. Children with asthma have lower attendance rates at school and visit the emergency room more frequently. Asthma is more common among certain populations, including low-income children and racial minorities, with lack of access to health care and substandard housing conditions thought to play a role.

How is our county performing?

In Worcester County, 12% (or about 10,300) children in grades K-8 had asthma in 2018, the same as the state rate. Both the County and state rates have remained essentially unchanged since 2010.

Among local areas, Southbridge had the highest rate at 26% in 2018, while Paxton and Bolton had the lowest at 4% and 5% respectively.

Notes about the data

School nurses gather this information annually from students' school health record, physician reports, and parent information forms. A variety of factors can impact asthma rates, including socioeconomic factors. Therefore, when comparing rates across geographic areas, information such as access to medical care must also be considered. The figures are not age-adjusted, so some of the differences may be due to differences in the age distribution of students in each community.

Data for some areas are not shown due to low case counts.

Prevalence of Children with Asthma
201020112012201320142015201620172018
Worcester County11%11%11%11%11%11%12%12%12%
Athol15%17%15%16%18%19%18%18%18%
Clinton8%6%9%9%8%8%8%8%10%
Fitchburg16%12%15%16%16%16%17%17%17%
Gardner18%19%19%19%19%18%16%18%16%
Northbridge10%9%12%13%14%11%7%7%11%
Southbridge21%22%23%24%23%24%23%27%26%
Spencer10%12%11%15%11%12%14%13%14%
Webster10%9%10%7%6%10%11%12%15%
Westborough12%12%12%12%11%9%7%8%7%
Worcester12%11%12%12%13%13%15%15%15%
Massachusetts12%12%12%12%12%12%12%12%12%
Additional Worcester County localities
Ashburnham8%7%11%9%9%11%10%11%11%
Auburn9%9%11%12%11%10%11%10%10%
Barre5%5%8%8%10%7%8%8%10%
Berlin11%8%5%7%7%6%10%8%7%
Blackstone11%13%14%13%11%9%8%5%10%
Bolton6%9%8%8%7%3%2%5%5%
Boylston7%8%8%10%8%11%11%8%9%
Brookfield13%13%9%15%15%14%4%13%19%
Charlton11%12%11%11%13%5%12%9%9%
Douglas12%12%12%13%14%17%17%16%15%
Dudley13%12%10%7%9%10%8%10%10%
East Brookfield4%6%7%5%11%18%13%12%13%
Grafton9%9%9%8%11%10%11%11%10%
Hardwick10%9%8%7%10%5%11%8%N/A
Harvard10%9%8%11%11%13%14%7%9%
Holden6%7%6%8%8%7%10%10%9%
Hopedale9%11%14%13%14%13%11%10%9%
Hubbardston8%6%7%6%9%5%5%5%9%
Lancaster13%12%13%10%10%10%8%10%10%
Leicester5%7%6%6%7%7%6%7%9%
Lunenburg9%7%8%3%7%9%11%12%10%
Mendon11%11%10%11%8%8%8%9%6%
Milford10%10%9%10%10%8%9%6%10%
Millbury13%12%13%8%10%7%9%8%8%
Millville9%12%12%11%14%7%11%6%7%
New Braintree12%11%9%6%N/AN/A6%8%7%
Northborough10%11%9%10%9%8%7%7%7%
North Brookfield5%4%5%4%6%8%7%10%6%
Oakham10%11%11%11%10%9%6%6%7%
Oxford7%6%8%6%8%8%7%9%8%
Paxton5%5%5%4%4%4%5%4%4%
Petersham9%8%9%11%10%8%10%9%9%
Phillipston6%7%8%9%11%9%10%13%11%
Princeton9%5%6%9%6%7%9%6%7%
Royalston14%13%11%11%9%16%19%11%11%
Rutland5%6%7%8%8%10%8%9%7%
Shrewsbury7%8%10%9%9%9%9%9%9%
Southborough8%9%9%8%9%10%9%8%8%
Sterling7%7%4%7%5%12%13%11%10%
Sturbridge11%12%10%7%8%14%14%8%10%
Sutton11%20%11%20%11%13%13%14%14%
Templeton14%13%14%16%16%18%16%15%13%
Upton12%11%10%11%10%10%8%10%11%
Uxbridge8%8%7%8%10%11%10%10%10%
Warren17%15%15%17%12%11%15%15%13%
West Boylston10%10%8%8%8%10%11%12%11%
West Brookfield17%13%17%15%8%18%17%17%16%
Westminster9%9%8%12%11%12%14%12%12%
Winchendon10%4%12%10%12%10%13%9%9%
Leominster10%10%11%11%11%11%12%13%12%

Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health




Number of of Children with Asthma
201020112012201320142015201620172018
Worcester County9,8239,6649,99710,06310,1409,97010,60910,33310,312
Athol188208175181205211206197199
Clinton10887130125120113109110137
Fitchburg653490639670677668736731729
Gardner348357366374382357309334296
Northbridge199194249258275214138123195
Southbridge387422437452436434430491450
Spencer123145130175125133142128132
Webster163153164121106171191206234
Westborough291286279289282229172220201
Worcester2,1912,1672,3012,3112,4142,4662,9862,9242,903
Massachusetts80,44080,94882,54883,56885,36483,85484,23082,27979,838
Additional Worcester County localities
Ashburnham625682636686788285
Auburn149155180200194173184183188
Barre323045455537413950
Berlin302416222015252018
Blackstone11512713312710480735093
Bolton526960535023163738
Boylston343738493952493740
Brookfield424230524645134060
Charlton18619018017719779176139136
Douglas147138139143148174171158134
Dudley17716213790113124106125115
East Brookfield111519122741292526
Grafton224207210197262244264258231
Hardwick3026221929143122N/A
Harvard806962777785924759
Holden134161136170192163239225200
Hopedale778910510110795807259
Hubbardston523434304022201934
Lancaster1019089717169617271
Leicester648467657377696999
Lunenburg10383903682110132144126
Mendon1029485866364576544
Milford296291276316314231287187301
Millbury17915517511213197125104106
Millville425349445024382224
New Braintree1412107N/AN/A687
Northborough194213190190172158130136133
North Brookfield251922203037324229
Oakham222223211917111011
Oxford111961188711811598127101
Paxton252628222423232020
Petersham1089987888
Phillipston111215161914152116
Princeton362122272121281922
Royalston161311981219119
Rutland61758397971179410079
Shrewsbury345393478444413408413395396
Southborough131145143125136148128115111
Sterling69724363471021058581
Sturbridge120135116869117216885111
Sutton138249134239129140137138140
Templeton131111119130124127119113102
Upton1351189810910198749097
Uxbridge139133112123149160150148134
Warren1019384997166848466
West Boylston656550515257667262
West Brookfield675163592960575753
Westminster827869107901001099494
Winchendon129551411161281111348885
Leominster474459487494489476526562531

Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health







INDICATORS TREND
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments 1
Increasing
Average Charitable Contribution 0
Maintaining
Households With Internet Access 1
Increasing
Protected Land 10 Not Applicable*
Voter Participation Rate -1
Decreasing
Voter Registration Rate 0
Maintaining
Arrest Rate by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Change in Total Population 1
Increasing
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Foreign-Born Population 1
Increasing
Language Diversity 1
Increasing
Population by Age -1
Decreasing
Households by Type 0
Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Median Household Income 0
Maintaining
Household Income by Race/Ethnicity 0
Maintaining
80/20 Income Ratio 0
Maintaining
Income in Relation to Poverty Level 0
Maintaining
People Living in Poverty 0
Maintaining
People Living in Poverty, by Education Level 1
Increasing
People Living in Poverty, by Age 1
Increasing
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Overall Housing Cost Burden -1
Decreasing
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Median Home Value by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Homelessness 10 Not Applicable*
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Household Receiving Temporary Assistance 0
Maintaining
Households Without Vehicles 0
Maintaining
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Change in Employment by Sector 10 Not Applicable*
Change in Average Salary by Sector 10 Not Applicable*
Female to Male Earnings Ratio 0
Maintaining
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Employer Size 1
Increasing
Business Ownership, by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Self-Employment Revenue 0
Maintaining
People Entering/Leaving County for Work 1
Increasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Preterm Births 10 Not Applicable*
Infant Mortality by Mother's Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels -1
Decreasing
Prevalence of Children with Asthma 1
Increasing
People with Disabilities 1
Increasing
People Without Health Insurance -1
Decreasing
Cancer Incidence 0
Maintaining
Diabetes Incidence -1
Decreasing
Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions 1
Increasing
Opioid Overdose Mortality Rate 1
Increasing
Children Living in Poverty 0
Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Economically Disadvantaged Students 1
Increasing
Disengaged Youth -1
Decreasing
Prekindergarten Participation -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 English, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate, by Student Group 1
Increasing
Arrest Rate by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Household Income by Race/Ethnicity 0
Maintaining
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Median Home Value by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Business Ownership, by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Infant Mortality by Mother's Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 English, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate, by Student Group 1
Increasing





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