Combating Asthma in an Underprivileged Community
Hospitalizations due to asthma is a major health issue for Hillsborough County, Florida and was identified as being in the least favorable health category (Florida Department of Health, 2015). Hillsborough County had a rate of 1,096.2 asthma hospitalizations per 100,000 people in 2015 which was higher than the rate for the state of Florida and the top United States performers (Florida Department of Health, 2015). The purpose of this paper is to identify a community-based program to reduce the rate of asthma hospitalizations in an underprivileged community. Background information is identified about the East Tampa community including demographics, socioeconomic factors, and the national and
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To more effectively utilize available time and resources, an area in Hillsborough County with the densest population of the target demographic was selected. The neighborhood of East Tampa was selected as the best site to initiate the AHRRP. There are approximately 16,000 residents residing in East Tampa and, 84 percent of the residents are Black (Florida Center for Community Design and Research, School of Architecture, University of South Florida, 2011).
There are many socioeconomic factors that impact the health status of Blacks living in East Tampa. The per capita income for East Tampa is $11,786 which is less than half of the per capita income for Hillsborough County (Florida Center for Community Design and Research et al., 2011). A windshield survey of the community was conducted that assessed the community core, community subsystems, and community perceptions using the guidelines outlined by Anderson and McFarlane (2015). While conducting the survey, it was noted the much of the available housing was in disrepair and the community lacked access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Healthy people 2020 Goals The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP; 2017) identified key asthma related national goals as part of Healthy People 2020. The reduction of asthma hospitalizations and ER visits for children and adults ages
How does asthma fit into the Healthy People 2020? As it is stated in Health People 2020, the main goal is to, “Promote respiratory health through better prevention, detection, treatment, and education efforts.” Under this goal, Healthy People list several objectives such as, reducing asthma death, hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, activity limitations, and miss school and work days; in addition, increasing education and prevention program (Healthy People 2020, 2014).
The most successful, long term, low-income housing projects are those that use sustainable design and address the social, cultural, and economic needs of residents. Traditionally built low-income housing projects are associated with high crime rates and high mortality rates among the residents who live in them. They do not provide for the needs of residents, resulting in many of the problems these low-income housing projects face today. These problems range from endangerment of human life, psychological afflictions due to the high stresses that are endured by residents, disease epidemics caused by overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions (in combination with a substandard public
The Downtown Eastside struggles with many complex challenges including homelessness, poverty, affordable and quality housing,
“Final call girl’s four by eight-hundred-meter relay” called the official. The Ontario Track girl’s four by eight-meter team trooped up to lane one, in unison. I would not have wanted to be racing with anyone else but my relay family. We had trained all season for this one race. Every workout, asthma attack, tear, and shin splint has lead up to this one race to break a twenty year old school record. As we jogged with the official from the bullpen to the starting line, the crowd had uproars of excitement for the athletes. An immense smile grew across my face, not only from the ecstatic crowd, but from the anticipation to race. I approached the starting line, in the first lane, while my teammates arrayed along the fence with the other second,
Also, they want to make a better quality, more accessible, affordable and equitable in United States (2015). In California, the NHQR focuses on current disparities in health care that recounted to racial issues and socioeconomic factors base on population (AHRQ, 2015). In California, the measure of Asian Pacific Islander in the close benchmark had about 21% of death per one thousand admissions with PTCA disease with an age of 40 years old and over. However, the measures that archived the benchmark or better those admissions for asthma per 100,000 populations with an age of 18 to 39 years old it’s about 86 %.
R.J. is a 15-year-old boy with a history of asthma diagnosed at age 8. His asthma episodes are triggered by exposure to cats and various plant pollens. He has been using his albuterol inhaler 10 to 12 times per day over the last 3 days and is continuing to wheeze. He normally needs his inhaler only occasionally (2 or 3 times per week). He takes no other medications and has no other known medical conditions. Physical examination reveals moderate respiratory distress with a respiratory rate of 32, oximetry 90%, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) 60% of predicted, and expiratory wheezing.
One strategy that has shown to improve medication compliance and outcomes for patient with asthma is the provision of Asthma Action Plans (AAP). The Asthma Action Plan or AAP is widely recognized as the best tool for asthma self-management and has been demonstrated to improve outcomes for asthmatics. The AAP is a detailed plan that describes medications and treatments, how to control asthma, and how to address worsening asthma. The plan also describes when to call the doctor or go to the emergency room. The plan breaks down the severity of symptoms and treatment by color helping those with limited language skills and low health literacy the ability to understand the asthma treatment plan. (Nepaul et al.,
The attempted strategies will be discussed in their chronological order. First, Evans and his colleagues conducted a study to improve asthma care for minority children (African-American and Latino) in New York City in pediatric clinics serving children from low SES families. The study chose New York City Bureau of Child Health clinics and trained its clinic staffs about National Asthma Education and Prevention Program guidelines to diagnosis, manage, screen, and identify asthma cases in children and provide health education for their families. The authors found that after 2 years of intervention and follow-up, there were improvements in access, continuity, and quality of asthma care provided by clinics with trained staffs. This study demonstrated that professional
Charity Productions in partnership with the College of Architecture’s Texas Target Communities Program at Texas A&M University have collaborated together to develop a set of solutions in response to the pre-existing neighborhood conditions throughout Harris County in Houston, Texas. The conditions of these particular neighborhoods have created a pattern of disparities throughout Harris County to be recognized as constraints to residents in impeding their ability to become affluent members of society. Texas Target Communities and Charity Productions have taken a step further to not only provide an analysis of evidence for these disparities but to identify the assets present in these communities to formulate feasible and cost effective solutions.
Throughout the years knowledge about asthma has grown, as well as treating it effectively. Over 300 million people are said to be victims of this disease with another 100 million being estimated by 2025 globally (Currie and Baker, 2012). In the United Kingdom, asthma is increasingly becoming one of the leading disease affecting individual of different age, ethnicity, race and gender. British Lung Foundation (2011) stated that it is more common at childhood stage and can also occur at a later age. According to Asthma UK (2014) asthma in men is less prevalence than it is in women and children troubled more with asthma than adults. Recent data in the UK shows that in children and occupational asthma in adult is on the rise with an estimate
Provided on the Lung Association website is a comprehensive list of asthma initiatives that envelop Asthma Care Coverage, Asthma in schools, Asthma at Work, Asthma education, and Asthma Policy and Advocacy. For example, the Lung Association offers An Open Airways School program that empowers school age children to learn Asthma self-management.
Occupational asthma is defined as asthma caused by exposure to airborne dust, vapors or fumes to individuals in the working environment without previous exposure to asthma, the term work-related asthma comprises of occupational asthma. Occupational asthma results from inhaling agents in the workplace and cases of occupational asthma requires to be clinically examined to confirm the actual diagnosis to patients identified with symptoms of asthma (Clayton, 2011:674&675)
Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by episodes in which the bronchioles constrict due to oversensitivity. In asthma, the airways (bronchioles) constrict making it difficult to get air in or out of the lungs. Breathlessness is the main symptom. The bronchi and bronchioles become inflamed and constricted. Asthmatics usually react to triggers. Triggers are substances and situations that would not normally trouble an asthma free person. Asthma is either extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic is when the inflammation in the airway is a result of hypersensitivity reactions associated with allergy (food or pollen). Intrinsic asthma is linked to hyper responsive reactions to other forms of
On behalf of the Florida International University Advocate Foundation and the thousands of residents we represent in our community. As concerned individuals from your electorate, we are writing in support of the School Based Respiratory Health Management Act for House Bill 2285.
It is imperative for countries to have a functioning health care system so their citizens can live their best quality lives. However, the question is raised on whether to focus on the treatment of illnesses or the prevention of them. Preventive health care, if implemented correctly, could ideally prevent and stop illness and disease before drastic measures need to be taken, such as expensive surgeries. It is well-known knowledge that a healthy diet and exercise can help prevent illnesses, as a result, some programs might emphasize a healthy lifestyle. Sharon Begley’s article in Reuters mentions some programs that have helped reduce health care costs, such as the Boston Children’s Hospital asthma program that helps reduce patient’s environmental