Chief State Medical Examiner

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Asthma

About Asthma

Asthma is a disease that affects the lungs. It causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing. Asthma sufferers can control the disease with medicine and by avoiding the triggers that can cause an attack.

One in 13 Americans has Asthma

Asthma in New Jersey

In New Jersey, more than 600,000 adults and 167,000 children have asthma. Asthma affects all races, ages and genders. More boys have asthma than girls, but in adulthood, more women are diagnosed with asthma than men. Blacks, Hispanics and urban residents are more likely to be affected with asthma symptoms, as are individuals with a family history of the disease.

Data and Statistics

The Department of Health monitors the percentage of residents with lifetime asthma and current asthma using an ongoing, statewide telephone survey, the New Jersey Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (NJBRFS).

The statistics reflect only those asthma cases that have been diagnosed by a health care professional, as reported by survey respondents.

Indicator Reports
Queryable Datasets
Disease Prevalence
Emergency Department and Inpatient Hospitalizations
  • Counts, crude rates, and age-adjusted rates
    • In the Diagnosis step of the query builder screen, select "Hospital Discharges for Select Health Indicators," and then select "Asthma - Primary Diagnosis" or "Asthma - Secondary Diagnosis."
Mortality
Related Health Care System Factors Indicators
Related Health Status Outcomes Indicators
Outdoor Air Quality
Last Reviewed: 7/11/2023