Child With Asthma

Asthma, a lung disease, affects over 25 million people living in the United States, including 1 in 11 children. It causes 3 in 5 people living with asthma to limit their physical activity or miss days at school and work. Asthma is also expensive, costing the nation $56 billion each year.

On World Asthma Day (the first Tuesday of May) and throughout May, people with asthma and organizations dedicated to asthma control and education join together to increase awareness about asthma and improve the lives of all people with asthma.

This toolkit features information for people with asthma, schools, public health practitioners, and others grouped in one place for Asthma Awareness Month use. Use the Asthma Awareness Toolkit to raise awareness today!

METHODS

As part of the Children’s Health Study, we measured lung function annually in 2120 children from three separate cohorts corresponding to three separate calendar periods: 1994–1998, 1997–2001, and 2007–2011. Mean ages of the children within each cohort were 11 years at the beginning of the period and 15 years at the end. Linear-regression models were used to examine the relationship between declining pollution levels over time and lung-function development from 11 to 15 years of age, measured as the increases in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) during that period (referred to as 4-year growth in FEV1 and FVC).

RESULTS

Over the 13 years spanned by the three cohorts, improvements in 4-year growth of both FEV1 and FVC were associated with declining levels of nitrogen dioxide (P<0.001 for FEV1 and FVC) and of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (P= 0.008 for FEV1 and P<0.001 for FVC) and less than 10 μm (P<0.001 for FEV1 and FVC). These associations persisted after adjustment for several potential confounders. Significant improvements in lung-function development were observed in both boys and girls and in children with asthma and children without asthma. The proportions of children with clinically low FEV1 (defined as <80% of the predicted value) at 15 years of age declined significantly, from 7.9% to 6.3% to 3.6% across the three periods, as the air quality improved (P=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

We found that long-term improvements in air quality were associated with statistically and clinically significant positive effects on lung-function growth in children. (Funded by the Health Effects Institute and others.)

Asthma is a disease of the airways. Airways are the tubes that bring outside air to the lungs. We use this air to breathe. When airways become narrow and swollen, it becomes hard for air to flow in and out of the lungs. Dur­ing an asthma episode, a child may cough, wheeze, or experience chest tightness or shortness of breath. Asthma is responsible for many doctor and hospital visits and lost days from school. If untreated, asthma can affect everyday life. Most girls know someone with asthma or may even have asthma themselves. Each Girl Scout can benefit from learning what asthma is, how it affects breathing, and how certain lifestyle choices can affect their general health and well-being. 

Learning about the respiratory system and how we breathe is the basis of the Asthma Awareness Patch Program: Helping Girls Breathe Easier. In addition, the girls will develop knowledge of asthma triggers, anything in the environment that can make breathing difficult. Girls will learn to make healthy choices, such as avoiding cigarette smoke, eating healthy foods, exercising regularly and practicing relaxation techniques. To encourage Girl Scouts to become responsible members of the community, the patch program goes beyond the individual and incorporates helping others. Employing resources such as websites, books, and other media enhance the learning process. 

Empowering girls to take charge of their health can lead to increased self-esteem and responsible decision-making. 

Each level of Girl Scouting is included in this workbook. The following number of activities must be completed in order to earn the Asthma Awareness Patch: Helping Girls Breathe Easier. 

By earning the patch, girls can help create asthma awareness by reaching out to the community. Teens may be given the privilege and opportunity to work with younger girls on their Asthma Awareness Patch, or they may choose to volunteer their time in an asthma-related activity, such as an asthma fair or school science program. This will provide leadership opportunities as well as the chance to learn about various careers in healthcare. To order the Asthma Awareness Patch, call 1-800-221-6707 or visit your local council shop.