New Mexico Asthma Data: An Overview

The Burden of Asthma in New Mexico: 2014 Epidemiology Report. New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, NM. 2014.

  • Analyzes data from 2007-2012 from a broad range of sources
  • Available through the NMACP web site at
  • Burden report includes Medicaid data, which are not directly accessible online

New Mexico’s Indicator-Based Information System (NM-IBIS)

  • Provides direct access to multiple data sources related to asthma, health, and NM communities (listed below)at
  • Introductory video featuring Lois Haggard of the Community Health Assessment Program at
  • See Asthma Reports (Prevalence in Adults & Youths, ED Visits, Hospitalizations) under the “Health Indicator Reports” tab
  • Health Indicator Reports present data by county, with age adjusted rates. Age adjustment lets you compare counties or states which may have different population profiles (such as a higher % of old or young residents) to each other.[1]
  • For even more options, choose “Explore Datasets” to view specific data from different sources

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

The BRFSS is an ongoing national telephone survey which collects data on the prevalence of health conditions and behaviors that affect disease risks (like smoking). Before 2011, BRFSS in NM didn’t call cell phones, so data from before 2011 can’t be directly compared with later data, since cell phone users tend to be different from landline users.

Look for “Doctor-Diagnosed Asthma – Ever” and “Doctor-Diagnosed Asthma – Current” Under Chronic Diseases and Conditions.

Emergency Department (ED) Visits

Since 2009, all non-federal EDs in NM have reported data to NMDOH. This does not include Veterans Affairs (VA), military, or Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals.

Hospitalizations

Since 1989, all non-federal hospitals in NM have reported their Hospital Inpatient Discharge Data (HIDD) to NMDOH. Note, as with ED visit data, these data do not include hospitalizations from VA, military, or IHS facilities.

Mortality

NMDOH Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics records with asthma as the principal (underlying) cause of death. Asthma can also be considered a “contributing” cause of death if it is mentioned anywhere on the death certificate along with other conditions.

Youth, Risk and Resiliency Survey (YRRS)

Data collected in odd-numbered years from middle and high school students. Topic areas include risk behaviors related to drug and alcohol use, violence, suicide, tobacco use, sexual activity, physical activity and nutrition, resiliency (protective) factors such as relationships in their community or with peers, and health status issues such as body weight and asthma. The YRRS survey has an Asthma option (toward the bottom of the page).

Asthma-Related Environmental Data

Can be found at NMTracking ( Includes environmental exposure data and environmental conditions and alerts, including smoke (wildfires) and seasonal allergies.

Tips for Calling Up Asthma Data in NM-IBIS:

Under “Select Diagnosis Group” Asthma is one of the 21 NCHS Leading Causes for Hospitalizations, but these are not presented in alphabetical order (Asthma’s near the bottom of the list, just after Essential Hypertension). Or you can use the “Health Indicator Diagnoses” option, where Asthma’s at the top.

  • When looking for specific asthma data, you have a lot of options, but the default settings for many options (by county, most recent year--currently 2014) can often be left as is
  • Remember the “Submit” button (which actually calls up your data) is at the bottom of the page
  • You can output your data to Excel using the tab (side list) on the left

Recent changes to Medical Coding in NM (and throughout the US)

  • Asthma Codes (ICD-9) are CM 493.0 through 493.92
  • As of October 2015, Vital Records (Death Data) has started using ICD-10 coding, where asthma is coded J45.2 through J45.99

To talk with someone from the Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau about NMDOH data on asthma (Dr. Mary Shepherd) or Air Quality (Eric Coker), call 505-827-0006.

Prepared by the NMCOA Administrative Committee, October 2015

[1] For example, the death rate in a county with 50% of its population over 80 years old shouldn’t be directly compared to a county where 50% of the population is under 30. This is where age adjustment helps.