TRENDS IN ASTHMA MORTALITY AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND WHITES IN CHICAGO, 1968 THROUGH 1991

Death certificate data were used to examine asthma mortality among Afr ican Americans and Whites aged 5 through 34 years in Chicago from 1968 through 1991. African Americans experienced consistently higher asthm a mortality throughout the period. Asthma mortality remained stable am ong Whites from 1968 through 1991 but increased by 337% among African Americans from 1976 through 1991 (P < .001). The increase was greatest among 20-through 34-year-olds. Between 1979 and 1991, outpatient and emergency department deaths increased significantly, while the proport ion of dead-on-arrival cases remained stable at 51%. This shift to non -inpatient deaths suggests that lack of access to health care may play a role in increasing asthma mortality.