BY ASTHMA AND ALLERGY FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
Springfield Area has dropped from #1 (2019 report) to #12 (2021 report) for lung issues in the United States. The Asthma Capitals™ report ranks 100 cities in the continental U.S. based on these health outcomes: asthma prevalence, emergency department visits for asthma, and deaths due to asthma. We also examine risk factors that contribute to these outcomes. Risk factors include poverty, air pollution, access to specialist medical care, pollen counts, medicine use, tobacco policies, and the rate of uninsured residents. The data in this report includes the 100 most populated U.S. cities, and does not include information from Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or tribal nations. The residents of these areas are greatly affected by asthma, but more data is needed to get a better picture of the impact.