Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Health

Asthma and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

  • National data for this population is limited.
  • In 2021, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults were nearly two times more likely to have asthma than non-Hispanic white adults.1
  • From 2018–2022, non-Hispanic Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders were two times more likely to die from asthma related causes than non-Hispanic whites.2
  • In 2014, among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander subgroups, Native Hawaiians were most likely to have ever been told to have ever been told they have asthma or to still have asthma as both adults and children.3

Prevalence

Current asthma among adults age 18 and over, percentage, 2021
 Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
15.08.21.8
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). National Center for Health Statistics. Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults. Percentage of current asthma for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2021.
Current asthma among adults age 18 and over, percentage, 2019–2021
Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
11.78.01.5
Source: CDC. National Center for Health Statistics. Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults, by Detailed Race and Ethnicity. Percentage of current asthma for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2019–2021.
Adults age 18 and over who have ever been told they have asthma, percentage, 2015
 Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
13.913.51.0
Source: CDC, 2018. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2015. Table A-2a.
Adults age 18 and over who have ever been told they have asthma, by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014
PopulationPopulation /
All NHPI Ratio		Population /
White Ratio
White12.70.7--
All NHPI17.4--1.4
Native Hawaiian20.81.21.6
Pacific Islander15.30.91.2
Samoan15.00.91.2
Guamanian or Chamorro22.61.31.8
Other Pacific Islander15.20.91.2
Source: CDC, 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. Health Conditions and Behaviors of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Persons in the United States, 2014. Table 6.
Adults age 18 and over who still have asthma, by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014
PopulationPopulation /
All NHPI Ratio		Population /
White Ratio
White7.30.9--
All NHPI8.1--1.1
Native Hawaiian12.21.51.7
Pacific Islander5.90.70.8
Samoan4.20.50.6
Guamanian or Chamorro5.90.70.8
Other Pacific Islander10.01.21.4
Source: CDC, 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. Health Conditions and Behaviors of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Persons in the United States, 2014. Table 6.
Adults age 18 and over with asthma, percentage, 2004–2006
 Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
10.211.00.9
Source: CDC, 2008. Health Characteristics of the Asian Adult Population: United States, 2004–2006. Table 4.

Death Rate

Asthma mortality, age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population, 2018–2022
Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
1.60.82.0
Source: CDC WONDER. Underlying Cause of Death, 2018–2022. [Accessed 11/08/2024]

Treatment

Prevalence of emergency department/urgent care visits with asthma as the first listed diagnosis in the past 12 months among all ages with current asthma, percentage, 2016–2018
Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
--8.6--
Source: CDC, 2021. Asthma Surveillance – United States, 2006–2018. Supplementary Table 13.
Hospital admissions for asthma among adults ages 18–39, rate per 100,000 population, 2020
Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
--15.4--
Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report. Data Query.
People with current asthma who are now taking preventive medicine daily or almost daily, percentage, 2020
Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
--33.8--
Source: AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query.

Children

Children under 18 years of age who were ever told they had asthma, age-adjusted percentage, 2018
Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
--9.4--
Source: CDC, 2019. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table C-1a.
Children under 18 years of age who were ever told they had asthma, by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014
PopulationPopulation /
All NHPI Ratio		Population /
White Ratio
White12.70.9--
All NHPI14.6--1.1
Native Hawaiian23.11.61.8
Pacific Islander10.10.70.8
Samoan11.90.80.9
Guamanian or Chamorro6.10.40.5
Other Pacific Islander10.60.70.8
Source: CDC, 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. Health Conditions and Behaviors of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Persons in the United States, 2014. Table 7.
Children under 18 years of age who still have asthma, age-adjusted percentage, 2018
Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
--5.6--
Source: CDC, 2019. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table C-1a.
Children under 18 years of age who still have asthma by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014
PopulationPopulation /
All NHPI Ratio		Population /
White Ratio
White7.91.0--
All NHPI8.3--1.1
Native Hawaiian15.51.92.0
Pacific Islander4.50.50.6
Samoan------
Guamanian or Chamorro2.20.30.3
Other Pacific Islander------
Source: CDC, 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. Health Conditions and Behaviors of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Persons in the United States, 2014. Table 7.
Hospital admissions for asthma among children ages 2–17, rate per 100,000 population, 2020
Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
--16.6--
Source: AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query.
Asthma mortality among children ages 0–17, rate per million, 2021
Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
--1.0--
Source: CDC, 2022. Data, Statistics, and Surveillance. Most Recent National Asthma Data.
Asthma prevalence among children ages 0–17, percentage, 2004–2005
Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderNon-Hispanic WhiteNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
--8.0--
Source: CDC, 2006. The State of Childhood Asthma, United States, 1980–2005. Table B.

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). National Center for Health Statistics. Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults. Percentage of current asthma for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2023. (Back to top)

2 CDC WONDER. Underlying Cause of Death, 2018–2022. (Back to top)

3 CDC, 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. Health Conditions and Behaviors of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Persons in the United States, 2014. Tables 6 and 7. (Back to top)