Overall
By Sex
By Age Group
By Deprivation
The age-standardized emergency visit rate for asthma in Simcoe Muskoka for all ages and sexes in 2021 was 179 (167.8, 190.0) visits per 100,000 population, which was significantly higher than the Ontario rate of 147 (144.8, 148.8) visits per 100,000 population.
The asthma emergency visit rates dropped dramatically in 2020, by more than 40%, in both Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario as a whole. This sudden and dramatic drop can be attributed, at least in part, to changes in health care use and access during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear how much the reduced transmission of other infectious diseases (like the common cold and influenza) and reduced exposures to activities and environments that exacerbate asthma may have contributed to the drop in the rate. The local and provincial rates in 2021 were similar to the 2020 rates and remain well below the rates observed before the pandemic.
Prior to 2020, there was a significant downward trend in the asthma emergency visits rates, both in Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario as a whole, over the 15-year time period from 2005 to 2019. The steepest decline in the rates occurred between 2005 and 2010, which was followed by a more moderate decrease from 2010 to 2019.
By Sex
In 2021, the age-standardized emergency visit rate for asthma among Simcoe Muskoka males was 156 (142.3, 171.5) visits per 100,000, which was significantly lower than the female rate of 202 (185.5, 219.2) visits per 100,000. The asthma related emergency visit rates in Simcoe Muskoka were significantly higher than the comparable Ontario rates for both males and females.
The same dramatic drop in the 2020 to 2021 rates were observed for both males and females. The asthma emergency visit rates for both males and females in Simcoe Muskoka also followed the same significant downward trend from 2005 to 2019. The female rates have been significantly higher than the male rates for this entire period.
By Age Group
Emergency visits for asthma are most common among children under 10 years of age. The age-specific rate of emergency visits related to asthma between 2017 and 2021 (combined) in Simcoe Muskoka was highest for children under ten years of age, with a rate of 611 (583.4, 639.7) visits per 100,000 population. This rate was more than double that of any other age group over this same time period. The age-specific asthma emergency visit rates in Simcoe Muskoka were significantly higher than the Ontario rates for all age-groups under 65 years; however, the Ontario rate was significantly higher than the Simcoe Muskoka rate for older adults (65 years of age and older).
By Deprivation
For the period from 2017 to 2021 (combined), Simcoe Muskoka residents living in areas with the highest amount of material deprivation (as measured by the 2016 Ontario Marginalized Index) had more than double the rate of asthma emergency visits when compared with those living in areas with the least amount of material deprivation.
Page last updated February 15, 2023