Environmental injustice is associated with poorer asthma outcomes in school-age children with asthma in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia

Grunwell, J. R., Mutic, A. D., Ezhuthachan, I. D., Mason, C., Tidwell, M., Caldwell, C., Norwood, J., Zack, S., Jordan, N., & Fitzpatrick, A. M. (2024). “Environmental injustice is associated with poorer asthma outcomes in school-age children with asthma in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia.” The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, S2213219824001715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2024.02.015

Abstract

Background

Environmental justice mandates that no person suffers disproportionately from environmental exposures. The Environmental Justice Index (EJI) provides an estimate of the environmental burden for each census tract but has not yet been utilized in asthma populations.

Objective

We hypothesized that children from census tracts with high environmental injustice determined by the EJI would have a greater burden of asthma exacerbations, poorer asthma control, and poorer lung function over 12 months.

Methods

Children 6-18 years with asthma (N=575) from metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, completed a baseline research visit. Participant addresses were geocoded to obtain the EJI Social-Environmental ranking for each participant’s census tract, which was divided into tertiles. Medical records were reviewed for 12 months for asthma exacerbations. A subset of participants completed a second research visit involving spirometry and questionnaires.

Results

Census tracts with the greatest environmental injustice had more racial/ethnic minorities, lower socioeconomic status, more hazardous exposures (particularly to airborne pollutants), and greater proximity to railroads and heavily trafficked roadways. Children with asthma residing in high injustice census tracts had a longer duration of asthma, greater historical asthma-related healthcare utilization, poorer asthma symptom control and quality of life, and more impaired lung function. By 12 months, children from high injustice census tracts also had more asthma exacerbations with a shorter time to exacerbation and persistently more symptoms, poorer asthma control, and reduced lung function.

Conclusion

Disparities in environmental justice are present in metropolitan Atlanta that may contribute to asthma outcomes in children. These findings require additional study and action to improve health equity.