Study: Alameda County Among Most Asthma-Prone in State
Catherine Ho, Daily Californian May 7, 2004

Alameda County is one of the most asthma-prone counties in the state, with a high concentration of asthma hospitalizations centered around Oakland and Berkeley, according to a report released Tuesday by the Oakland Berkeley Asthma Coalition.

Alameda County has the second highest rate of asthma hospitalizations in the state, with 4 times as many Oakland children hospitalized each year for asthma attacks than the state average. In Berkeley, the rate is 2.5 times the average.

The greatest increases in the number of hospitalization cases were seen in East and West Oakland, South Berkeley, Alameda and Piedmont. Although asthma hospitalizations had declined in Alameda County over a five-year period, rates skyrocketed in some neighborhoods in East and West Oakland.

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that results in an attack when swelling airways fill with mucus to prevent oxygen from reaching the lungs. Allergies from dust mites and pet dander can worsen attacks and warrant hospitalization.

"I had allergies and asthma before I came to Berkeley," said ASUC Senator and senior Adnan Iqbal. "But my asthma has gotten worse since I've been here. The air is really dry out here."

The study shows that age, race and location are all factors determining the likelihood that an individual will suffer from asthma.

"The most striking finding was that the burden of asthma is not spread equally among the population," said Paul Cummings, head of the Oakland Berkeley Asthma Coalition, a group of health care providers, nonprofit community organizations and government agencies.

Young children are more susceptible to severe attacks than the population at large-more than half of Oakland and Berkeley residents hospitalized for asthma were under the age of 15.
The report indicates a racial disparity among asthma sufferers as well, with hospitalization rates for blacks 4 times higher than those of the general population.

But race could be correlated to location, which also proved a factor in the prevalence of asthma hospitalizations. Neighborhoods with many black residents, such as South and West Berkeley, are more exposed to diesel truck traffic and pollution from freeways I-80 and I-880.

An estimated 10,000 diesel trucks that take shortcuts through Oakland neighborhoods cause pollutants that contribute to asthma, Cummings said.
Cummings said that he hopes the report will encourage people in the community to work together and express their concern to local policymakers.