Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality

STATISTICAL BRIEF #152 

December 2006 

Asthma Treatment and Management 

among the U.S. Civilian 

Noninstitutionalized Population, 2004 

Highlights 

 Of those who reported having 

been told by a doctor that 

they have asthma, more than 

two-thirds or 68.5 percent 

(18.8 million people) reported 

that they still have asthma 

(active asthma). 

 Of those who have active 

asthma, 48.0 percent reported 

an asthma attack in the past

year.

 A higher percentage of 

children had asthma attacks 

in the past year than those 

age 18 and older (52.3 percent versus 46.3 percent). 

 Persons with active asthma 

used quick-relief medications

at a higher rate than longterm preventive medications 

for controlling asthma (30.9 

percent versus 13.5 percent). 

 More than one-fourth of 

persons (26.2 percent) with 

active asthma reported having 

a peak flow meter at home. 

 

Anita Soni, PhD 

Introduction 

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease. It is one of the most 

common long-term diseases for children. Asthma attacks can vary 

from mild to life threatening and involve shortness of breath, cough, 

wheezing, chest pain or tightness, or a combination of these 

symptoms. Asthma medication can be inhaled or taken as a pill. 

The medication comes in two types: quick relief and long-term 

control. Quick-relief medicines control the acute symptoms of an 

asthma attack. 

This Statistical Brief uses data from the Household Component of 

the 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS-HC) to estimate 

treatment regimens of persons who reported that they were ever 

told by a physician or other health professional that they had 

asthma. The brief presents data on medications and devices as 

they are used by different population groups. All comparisons 

discussed in the text are statistically significant at the .05 level 

unless otherwise noted. 

Findings 

Asthma is a disease that causes the airways of the lungs to tighten. An asthma attack occurs when the 

lungs do not get enough air to breathe. An asthma attack can be triggered by a variety of allergens in the 

air. Common triggers include house dust mites, animal fur, pollen, tobacco smoke, cold air, and viral and 

bacterial chest infections. 

Demographics 

In 2004, 9.3 percent of the adult U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population (27.4 million) reported having 

been told by a physician at some time that they have asthma. The likelihood of having asthma was higher 

for women than men (10.4 percent versus 8.3 percent). This relationship was different for children than 

adults—among children, boys were more likely to have asthma than girls (11.9 percent versus 7.8 

percent). (figure 1)

Of those persons who reported having been told by a doctor that they have asthma, more than two-thirds

or 68.5 percent (18.8 million people) reported still having asthma (active asthma). A higher percentage of 

females were reported to have active asthma relative to males (70.9 percent versus 65.4 percent). In 

addition, a higher percentage of children (0–17) relative to adults (18+) were reported to have active 

asthma (73.4 percent versus 66.8 percent). (figure 2) 
Almost half (48.0 percent) of those who had active asthma also had an asthma episode in the past 12 

months. Those age 0–17 were more likely to have had an asthma attack than those 18 and older (52.3 

percent versus 46.3 percent). Asthma attack rates in the past 12 months were higher for adult females 

(18 and older) than adult males (49.5 percent versus 39.9 percent). (figure 3) 

Medication and device use 

Among those with active asthma, 75.8 percent reported using at least one medication for controlling 

asthma. Women were more likely to have used at least one asthma medication than men (78.5 percent 

versus 72.1 percent). (figure 4) 

People with active asthma used quick-relief medications at a higher rate than long-term preventive 

medications (30.9 percent versus 13.5 percent). About one-third (31.4 percent) reported using both quickrelief and preventive medications for asthma treatment. There were 24.2 percent of people with active 

asthma who reported that they did not use any medication for controlling their asthma. (figure 5) 

Of those who had an asthma episode in the past 12 months, 89.2 percent reported using some 

medication for asthma control (data not shown in figures). 

Of those who had active asthma, only about one-fourth (26.2 percent) reported having a peak flow meter 

at home. A higher percentage of females reported having a peak flow meter at home than males (28.7 

percent versus 22.7 percent). (figure 6) 

More than three-fourths or 79.3 percent of those who owned a peak flow meter at home reported using it. 

In addition, of those who had an asthma episode in the past 12 months, 30.1 percent reported having a 

peak flow meter at home. A vast majority (83.7 percent) of them reported using the peak flow meter. 

(Data not shown in figures.)

Data Source

The estimates in this Statistical Brief were derived from the Priority Conditions section of the MEPS-HC 

2004 Full Year Consolidated Data File (HC-089). 

Definitions 

For determination of asthma, the following question was asked: “(Have/Has) PERSON ever been told by 

a doctor or other health professional that PERSON had asthma?” Those with an affirmative answer were 

further asked: “(Do/Does) (PERSON) still have asthma?” 

Medications and devices:* 

– Quick-relief medication: Prescription inhaler that a person breathes in through the mouth that gives 

quick relief from asthma symptoms. 

– Long-term medication: Medicine used every day to protect lungs and help prevent attacks. This 

medication can be in either oral form or inhalers (which are different from inhalers used for quick relief). 

– Peak flow meter: Meter that measures how hard one can blow air out of the lungs. 

About MEPS-HC 

MEPS-HC is a nationally representative longitudinal survey that collects detailed information on health 

care utilization and expenditures, health insurance, and health status, as well as a wide variety of social, 

demographic, and economic characteristics for the civilian noninstitutionalized population. It is 

cosponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Center for Health 

Statistics. 

For more information about MEPS, call the MEPS information coordinator at AHRQ (301-427-1656) or 

visit the MEPS Web site at http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/. 

*A small number of cases were excluded from these calculations due to missing data.
References 

For a detailed description of the MEPS survey design, sample design, and methods used to minimize 

sources of nonsampling error, see the following publications: 

Cohen, J. Design and Methods of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. MEPS 

Methodology Report No. 1. AHCPR Pub. No. 97-0026. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Health Care Policy and 

Research, 1997. 

Cohen, S. Sample Design of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. MEPS 

Methodology Report No. 2. AHCPR Pub. No. 97-0027. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Health Care Policy and 

Research, 1997. 

Cohen, S. Design Strategies and Innovations in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Medical Care,

July 2003: 41(7) Supplement: III-5–III-12. 

Agency for Healthcare research and Quality Report. 2004. National Healthcare Quality Report. Rockville, 

MD :U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Asthma Information and Data. U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/ 

nhis/04/data.htm 

Suggested Citation 

Soni, A. Asthma Treatment and Management among the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 

2004. Statistical Brief #152. December 2006. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Md. 

http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/ st152/stat152.pdf 

∗ ∗ ∗

AHRQ welcomes questions and comments from readers of this publication who are interested in 

obtaining more information about access, cost, use, financing, and quality of health care in the United 

States. We also invite you to tell us how you are using this Statistical Brief and other MEPS data and 

tools and to share suggestions on how MEPS products might be enhanced to further meet your needs. 

Please e-mail us at mepspd@ahrq.gov or send a letter to the address below: 

Steven B. Cohen, PhD, Director 

Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 

540 Gaither Road 

Rockville, MD 20850 
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2004.

9.9 9.2

8.3

11.9

7.0

10.4

7.8

11.2

9.3

0

5

10

15

20

Total Age 0-17 Age 18+

All Male Female

Perc

ent

Figure 1. Percentage of persons

with asthma, by age and sex, 2004

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2004.

65.4

70.9 73.4 73.8 72.8

66.8

60.4

70.5 68.5

0

20

40

60

80

100

Total Male Female

Total Age 0-17 Age 18+

P

ercent

Figure 2. Percentage of persons who still have 

asthma (active asthma) among persons who 

ever had asthma, by age and sex, 2004
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2004.

45.4

49.8 52.3 53.0 51.2

46.3

39.9

49.5 48.0

0

15

30

45

60

75

Total Male Female

Total Age 0-17 Age 18+

Perc

ent

Figure 3. Percentage of persons having experienced

an asthma attack in the past year among people

with active asthma, by age and sex, 2004

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2004.

72.1

78.5

24.2 27.9

21.5

75.8

0

20

40

60

80

100

Total Male Female

At least 1 medication No medications

P

ercent

Figure 4. Percentage of people with active asthma 

and medications for asthma control, by sex, 2004
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2004.

24.2%

13.5%

30.9%

31.4%

Both Quick-relief Long-term None

Figure 5. Use of asthma medications 

among persons with active asthma, 2004

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2004.

28.7

22.7

26.2

0

10

20

30

40

50

Total Female Male

P

ercent

Figure 6. Peak flow meter ownership among

people with active asthma, by sex, 2004