Hospitalization rate of N.W.T. youth with asthma decreases over a decade: report

The rate of asthma hospitalizations among youth in the Northwest Territories has decreased, but not as much as the national average, according to new data.

According to a report released this month by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), the asthma hospitalization rate for people under 20 years old decreased by 21 per cent in the territory between 2006 and 2015.

This compares to a 50 per cent decrease across Canada. And in the periods from 2013 to 2014 and 2015 to 2016, the territory was among several jurisdictions with significantly higher rates of asthma hospitalization than the Canadian average.

Sara Allin, a senior researcher with CIHI, said it can be difficult to determine why the rates vary among provinces and territories, especially for those with smaller populations whose rates can fluctuate annually.

"We're really able to slice and dice the data for the larger provinces and for Canada as a whole, but less so for the Northwest Territories," she said. "It's hard to dig into data when populations are small and the number of kids hospitalized is really low."

In 2015, for example, there were a total of only 16 asthma hospitalizations in the N.W.T. compared to 6,000 nationally.

Risks for youth in low-income neighbourhoods

But the report indicates there are some factors that contribute to greater risk of hospitalization for asthma. The rate of hospitalization for children and youth living in lower-income neighbourhoods was about 1.5 times higher than for those living in higher-income neighbourhoods.

Research indicates this may be due to greater exposure to second-hand smoke, poor living conditions, as well as factors like earlier cigarette use and the cost of asthma medication.

The report also noted there were higher hospitalization rates in urban rather than rural areas, and among children younger than five years old. Higher rates were also found in households where the highest level of education was less than high school.

Allin said hospitalization is a serious event that indicates someone's condition is not being managed properly.

Can lead to life threatening symptoms

According to the report, many hospitalization incidents are avoidable if appropriate treatment and management is provided at the primary care level. People with asthma may be hospitalized if they experience worsening coughing or sneezing, chest pain, drowsiness or confusion.

"Uncontrolled asthma can lead to pretty life threatening symptoms," Allin said.

While the declining rates indicate progress, Allin said asthma still continues to be one of the leading causes of hospital stays for people under 20. And she said for every child who is hospitalized there are about eight more who visited the emergency room.

Allin said improvements can be made by making information more accessible, through earlier diagnosis, tailored self-management plans, monitoring from health care providers, as well as special attention to at-risk groups.

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