Poverty can also cause asthma It is commonly believed that people living in cities are more likely to develop asthma. But a new U.S. study questions this, concluding that there is no significant difference in the asthma risk faced by urban and rural people, and that poverty is also an important asthma risk factor. The idea that urbanites are more likely to develop asthma emerged about 50 years ago, with many experts believing that urban pollution, allergens such as cockroaches and mold, and indoor smoke and dust increase the risk of asthma in children. But new research suggests that these risk factors are no longer unique to cities. The study, published 20 days ago in the American Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, surveyed more than 23,000 U.S. children between the ages of 6 and 17. The survey showed that 13 percent of urban children had asthma and 11 percent of rural children had asthma. After taking into account factors such as race, ethnicity and geographic location, the researchers found no significant difference between urban and rural children in terms of the prevalence of asthma. Further analysis showed that children with family incomes below the poverty line were more likely to develop asthma, and the lower the family income, the higher the risk of asthma. In addition, African-Americans appeared to be more likely to develop asthma, at 17 percent in the survey, compared to 10, 9 and 8 percent for whites, Latinos and Asians, respectively. The study leader, Johns Hopkins University’s Corinna K. K., said the study was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of California. Johns Hopkins University’s Corinne Kotter said in a statement. Cote said in a statement, “Our results highlight the changing characteristics of childhood asthma and show that living in a city is not an asthma risk factor in and of itself.” The researchers explained that secondhand smoke is a significant risk factor for childhood asthma, and smoking rates are higher among low-income households. In addition, low-income family members tend to have more stressful lives, and long-term psychological burdens can weaken a person’s immune system. Cote said scientists have always wanted to find the root cause of asthma, but their latest study illustrates that asthma research should no longer be limited to the investigation of the external environment of survival, and should combine genetic and environmental factors in order to find the most fundamental causes of asthma.