In a phone survey of adult Oregonians asking about health, the data show that 8.5% of adults living in Oregon, or about 218,000 adults, currently have asthma. (Figure 2) This percentage places Oregon among the top 8 states in the country with the highest prevalence of adult asthma. The survey also found that almost 12% of adult Oregonians reported having asthma at some point in their life.

The prevalence of asthma is different between men and women. Asthma seems to be almost twice as common among adult women than among adult men. Currently, it is estimated that 11.3% of women in Oregon have asthma, compared to only 6.2% of men. (Figure 3)

Unlike other chronic diseases, the percent of people with asthma is fairly consistent among all adult age groups. In adult Oregonians the percentage of adults with asthma ranges from 6.8% to 8.4%. (Figure 4)

Though asthma affects people of all income levels, we know from studies in other states that asthma is more of a problem in households with low incomes. This appears to be true in Oregon as well. Asthma is much more common among Oregonians with the lowest incomes. (Figure 5) Further study is needed in this area because although this appears to be a common trend, there are most likely other factors contributing to these findings as well.