Patients with limited English proficiency face significantly worse asthma outcomes, according to a study led by Dr. Maria Paula Henao and published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. The research analyzed data from over 28,000 patients aged 12 and older, revealing stark disparities in asthma control and lung function between English-speaking and non-English-speaking individuals.
Among the 769 non-English-speaking patients—62% of whom were Hispanic—the most common languages were Spanish and Chinese. These patients were less likely to have documented Asthma Control Test scores and pulmonary function tests. When tested, they showed poorer results. The odds of uncontrolled asthma were more than four times higher in non-English speakers, with mean lung function scores significantly lower than their English-speaking counterparts.
Emergency department visits were also more frequent among non-English-speaking patients, while their likelihood of attending ambulatory clinic visits was lower. Dr. Henao and colleagues emphasized the need for professional interpreters, bilingual education, and AI-based translation tools to reduce these disparities.
Dr. Mickey Emmanuel noted that these findings align with previous research but add “valuable granularity” by linking objective clinical measures to language preference. He also highlighted the absence of socioeconomic data, such as insurance status, which could further explain disparities in care access and outcomes.
The study calls for future research into how language barriers and social determinants of health intersect to shape asthma care, urging targeted interventions to improve equity for non-English-speaking communities.
See: “Limited English proficiency negatively impacts asthma control, lung function” (August 6, 2025)
