Asthma is the number one cause of school absenteeism due to chronic illness, accounting for 13 million lost school days annually. Nearly one in 13 school-aged children has asthma. Pediatric asthma has been on the rise for the last 20 years – both in numbers of children diagnosed and in the severity of illness, making asthma the most common chronic childhood illness and the 3rd ranking cause of childhood hospitalization.
How can schools help kids with asthma breathe easier? Although a personal asthma action plan for each student with asthma is ideal, schools should have a written emergency care plan for students who do not have a personal plan at school. States or districts usually have a standard format for such plans. Many formats are appropriate depending upon the school health staff available. This suggested emergency protocol from the national asthma education and Prevention Program may be used by school health directors as a template to develop a district or school protocol.
Also, because children spend up to eight hours a day in the school building, a healthy indoor environment is crucial in the management of asthma. By implementing EPA’s IAQ tools for schools kit, schools can improve indoor air quality for all students, especially for those with asthma. The kit offers suggestions for reducing exposure to pollutants that may cause or trigger asthma. Find ordering information for this asthma resource below, as well as additional resources from NEA HIN, its partners and other organizations.
Resources from NEA HIN and its Partners
NEA HIN Indoor Environmental Quality Page
Health and Safety Organizing Strategies
Find information on starting a health and safety committee at your school, negotiating health and safety contract language and more on NEA HIN’s organizing for safe & healthy schools page.
EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQTfS) Kit
NEA has been a co-sponsor of the environmental protection agency’s IAQ TfS program. One component of the kit is a publication, IAQ Tools for Schools: Managing Asthma in the School Environment, which clearly shows the link between the indoor environment and asthma. It provides general information on asthma, specific facts on common asthma triggers found in schools, suggested action items for asthma management in schools, and information about additional asthma resources.
if you are interested in obtaining a copy of IAQ TfS managing asthma in the school environment (EPA document # EPA 02-K-00-003) or the entire kit, contact info.
National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Fact Sheets
NEA HIN is an active participant in the NAEPP coordinating committee, which has produced the following resources for schools:
How asthma friendly is your school?
Asthma and physical activity in the school
Resolution on asthma management in schools
NEA publications
May 2001 nea today article, clearing the air on asthma.