Asthma
Stats and
Facts
1. Approximately five million children under
age 18 in the United States are diagnosed with
asthma.
American Thoracic Society Update: Future directions
for research on diseases of the lung. American
Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
(1998) 158:320-334
2.
Nearly one in 13 school-aged children has asthma.
National Center for Health Statistics, National
Health Information Survey, 1999
3.
Over 10 million school days are missed each year
by school children experiencing asthma-related
problems.
United States. National Institutes of Health National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Asthma:
A Concern for Minority Populations. Jan. 1997
4.
Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood.
National Institutes of Health National Heart Lung
Blood Institute. Guidelines for the Diagnosis
and Management of Asthma.
5.
Asthma in children has increased significantly
in both numbers and severity over the past 15
years.
National Institutes of Health National Heart Lung
Blood Institute. Guidelines for the Diagnosis
and Management of Asthma.
6.
The number of children under age 18 who have asthma
has increased every year since 1985. In fact asthma
is now at epidemic proportions worldwide, especially
among school-aged children.
United States. Centers for Disease Control. Forecasted
State-Specific estimates of Self-Reported Asthma
Prevalence-1998 Morbidity and Mortality (Dec
4, 1998) 47:1022-1025.47:1022-1025.
7.
Asthma is the leading cause of hospitalizations
among children.
United States. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Vital and Health Statistics. National
Hospital Discharge Survey: Annual Summary, 1993.
(Aug. 1995) DHHS Publication No. PHS 95-1782.
8.
Six to eight percent of children with asthma have
food allergies that can trigger asthma symptoms.
Food Allergy News, a publication of the
Food Allergy Network, Volume 6, Number 1, October-November
1996, Update on Food Allergies and Asthma,
by Hugh A. Sampson, M.D.
9.
Children with asthma make more than 2.7 million
physician visits annually.
American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology
Initiatives. Update on Pediatric Asthma: Promoting
Best Practice.
10.
Children and teens whose nighttime sleep is disrupted
by asthma symptoms can have greater difficulty
with schoolwork.
www.asthmaandschools.org
11.
Missed sleep due to nighttime asthma can cause
children to have poor recall memory, lack of concentration
and mood swings.
www.asthmaandschools.org
12.
Some medications have side effects that may interfere
with a student’s ability to concentrate or participate
in school activities.
www.asthmaandschools.org