Asthma is a respiratory condition that causes the airways to be blocked, leading to wheezing and difficulty in breathing. Generally, mild asthma has minor consequences on daily activities and does not pose a major health concern. However, severe asthma characterized by repeated attacks may be life threatening. It, therefore, calls for urgent medical care to be provided. It may also lead to hospitalization and death in some rare cases (Basch, 2011). Basch (2011) reports that minority youth in poor urban setups experience high rates of severe asthma. This group of youth is adversely affected by the disease. Asthma impacts negatively on their quality of life, together with their families. To a large extent, asthma in the minority youth is associated with ineffective and insufficient utilization of health care services and resources. It lowers the psychological, emotional, and their physical health state, thereby causing harmful and negative effects on their educational results. Most adolescents suffering from asthma, specifically those with severe cases, suffer from depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Also, adherence to treatment is poor among asthmatic adolescents, with the rate of adherence compared to controller medication being as low as 25% (Rohan, 2010).
Asthma in children
Asthma is classified as among the commonest respiratory conditions of a chronic nature in children in the US. Akinbami, Moorman and Liu (2011) reported that the prevalence of asthma in 2009 had reached its highest ever at 9.6 percent. Children who suffer from asthma have a high morbidity rate, in addition to a generally reduced quality of life because they are less playful and they miss a lot of school days. They also visit hospitals for treatment often. For example, Basch (2011) reported that children together with adolescents had 64, 0000 emergency hospital visits and approximately 10.5 million did not attend school due to asthma between 2005 and 2007.
The prevalence of asthma varies with different ethnic communities. American Indians, Blacks, and Alaska Natives have a higher prevalence compared to White American children (Basch, 2011). It is reported that asthma emergencies are more common among the blacks than the whites. This is the same case with hospitalization and ED visits for asthma among the children of non-white American youth. This shows that the non-whites bear a bigger asthma burden than the white youth.
Objectives of Healthy People 2020 seek to, “Attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable diseases, disabilities, injury and premature death while promoting quality of life, healthy development and healthy behaviors across all life ages” (Akinbami, Moorman, Garbe, & Sondik, 2009, p. 132). Several measures have been put in place to control asthma based on these objectives. Basch (2011) indicates that it is now possible to manage asthma with a lot of effectiveness due to the intense research on how to handle the disease and its effects. Asthma is basically controlled through medication for addressing the clinical symptoms, keeping away from triggers of asthma, and providing access to quality care. Unfortunately, youth from poor minority backgrounds are not in a position to access these amenities. Lack of the intervention strategies causes most of these poor youth to have frequent visits to the emergency departments.
The control and prevention of adverse effects of asthma are goals of managing asthma as stated in the National Asthma Education and Preventive Program (NAEPP) asthma treatment guidelines (Basch, 2011). The main management strategy for asthma as stated in this program is the Preventive Asthma Medication (PAM). Any substance or condition that triggers asthma should be avoided. Moreover, asthma management should be taught to the patients and their caretakers. However, more research has shown that proper management of asthma can be achieved if emphasis is put on youth who are known to have asthma, rather than the whole community at large (Kathleen 2011). Developing strategies that target schools will be more effective and appropriate in fighting the asthma menace, given most youths in this category attend school. There are several strategies that have been proposed by the CDC as effective means of managing asthma (Basch, 2011). These strategies can be employed by schools at an individual level or at the district level.
As reported by Basch (2011), one of the most critical approaches in achieving this goal is establishing support and management systems that will guarantee asthma friendly schooling environments. The systems may implement guiding and counseling measures to foster positive living among students with asthma. Social discrimination that may arise as a result of the vice from other students should also be taken care of in full by these systems.
Asthmatic students should be provided with health services that address their asthmatic conditions as a strategy of managing asthma. A closer association between school administrations and the students is vital in achieving the mental stability of these patients. This measure will definitely ensure improved performance of such students as mental stability leads to better academic performance, thereby reducing the academic gap that exists between victims and healthy individuals.
Asthma attacks are not limited to children, but they also have serious implications on adults. Statistics show that currently, more adults are affected by the disease than children. A report by Akinbami, Jeanne and Xiang (2011) showed that the prevalence of asthma was 8.2% in 2009. About 17.5 million of those affected are adults compared to 7.1 million children who are between 0-17 years of age. The prevalence of asthma attack was estimated to be 4.2%, representing a population of 12.8 million Americans. About 8.7 million of these were adults, while children were 4.0 million. These statistics mean that among those currently affected by asthma, 52% had asthma attacks and are at a high risk of developing adverse effects, like hospitalization and/or emergency department visits (Akinbami, Jeanne & Xiang, 2011).
Asthma and Adults
Asthma has resulted in absenteeism at work for adults, or at least it has resulted in activity limitation. Akinbami, Jeanne and Xiang (2011) reported that up to 14.2 million Americans miss a number of working days in a span of 12 months due to asthmatic attacks and related symptoms. Asthma patients experience activity limitation in the form of the inability or reduced ability to execute normal duties that one would, otherwise, do with ease at their age. Akinbami, Jeanne and Xiang (2011) describe that about 6 percent of the employed persons with asthma experience activity limitation associated with breathing difficulties. Among the unemployed, those who had an asthma attack within the last 12 month had missed work within the compound or around the house. Akinbami, Jeanne, and Xiang (2011) reported that 22 million workdays of housework with other activities were missed, while 27% reported to have had an activity limitation due to a breathing problem. Annually, it costs about 18 billion to the economy of the US to address asthma cases (Shenolikar, Song, Anderson, Chu, & Cantrell, 2011).
Even in adults, scanty information is available on how to prevent the development of asthma in individuals. Managing asthma in adult is only effective when a preventive approach is taken, rather than trying to treat the disease (McDonough & Mault 2013). Drug therapy for asthma relieves the symptoms of the attacks temporarily. However, prophylaxis helps in reducing the rate of asthma episodes. It is also important to monitor the patient closely to help curb the symptoms associated with asthma early enough. Avoiding allergens that trigger asthma, such as smoke and dust, goes a long way in preventing asthmatic attacks (Akinbami, Jeanne & Xiang, 2011).
Asthma and Memphis Tennessee area
The Memphis Tennessee area is one of the regions within the United States that have a very high prevalence of asthma. A comprehensive plan needs to be established and implemented to control asthma in Memphis. Within this report, I have come up with ideas that can reduce the disease burden significantly if implemented. This basically involves creation of Self Help Groups and Community Based Organizations, all geared towards fighting and controlling asthma. Self-help groups may be mainly composed of the victims of asthma. This may create a forum for the patients to meet and discuss their experience with the disease and how each one of them has been managing it, among other things. The resolutions arrived at will be adopted and used by the rest of the group members.
Community-based organizations will basically be involved in assisting the affected patients in terms of care provision, providing medications, and creation of a favorable environment for the affected victims. Such activities may involve clearing of pollutants within the community. The organizations should also identify specific needs of each group demographically and provide the required care.
References
Akinbami, L. J., Moorman, J. E., Garbe, P. L., Sondik, E. J. (2009). Status of childhood asthma in the United States, 1980–2007. Pediatrics, 123(suppl 3), S131–S145. Web.
Akinbami, L. J., Moorman, J. E., Liu, X. (2011). Asthma prevalence, health care use, and mortality: United States, 2005–2009. National Health Statistics Reports no 32.
Basch, C. E. (2011). Asthma and the achievement gap among urban minority youth. Journal of School Health, 81, 606-613. Web.
Rohan, J., Drotar, D., McNally, K., Schluchter, M., Riekert, K., Vavrek, P., Schmidt, A., Redline, S., & Kercsmar, C. (2010). Adherence to pediatric asthma treatment in economically disadvantaged African-American children and adolescents: an application of growth curve analysis. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 35(4), 394–404. Web.
Shenolikar, R., Song, X., Anderson, J. A., Chu, B. C., & Cantrell, C. R. (2011). Costs of asthma among US working adults. The American Journal of Managed Care, 17(6), 409-416.
Kathleen, C. (2011). Keeping asthma at bay. American Nurse Today. vol. 6, issue no. 4. Web.
McDonough, B., & Mault, S. (2013). Non-attendance at a difficult-asthma clinic. Nursing Times, 109(16), 12-14.