As children return to school, asthma-related emergency department visits surge—especially in neighborhoods marked by high social vulnerability. A recent study analyzing data from over 3,000 census tracts in Texas found that children living in disadvantaged areas experienced the sharpest rise in asthma emergencies during the first weeks of school.
Using data from 2016 to 2019, researchers compared asthma ER visits during the last six weeks of summer and the first seven weeks of school. In high social vulnerability areas, the rate jumped to 879 visits per 100,000 person-years, compared to 576 in moderately vulnerable areas and 378 in low vulnerability zones.
“These results support the idea that neighborhood disadvantage modifies the risk of asthma exacerbations,” wrote lead researcher Darlene Bhavnani, PhD, MPH. She explained that viral infections, which often spike at the start of the school year, pose greater risks for children in these communities.
The study points to several contributing factors: higher exposure to air pollutants, indoor allergens, and psychosocial stress. Crowded classrooms, poor ventilation, and limited sick leave among caregivers also increase transmission rates of respiratory viruses.
Dr. Andrea Pappalardo Wlochowicz, who works in a safety net hospital, sees this pattern firsthand. “The new school year is often dramatic in the amount of asthma morbidity we see,” she said, emphasizing the need for tailored asthma action plans and improved environmental conditions in schools and homes.
Without addressing these structural disparities, children in vulnerable communities will continue to face disproportionate health risks.
See: “Children living in socially vulnerable areas have more asthma ED visits at start of school” (August 20, 2025)
