Interpersonal Influences On The Asthma Self Management

Asthma is a serious problem nationwide. It is also a significant problem in the state of Massachusetts, especially in communities in Boston. However, according to Harvard School of Public Health and NIEHS Center for Environmental Health, Roxbury and North Dorchester are highly noticeable hotspots (Backus, Terrell, Wool, & Straubel, 2012, p. 23). For the purpose of this paper, the main focus will be on asthma cases in

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition, ranked as the highest cause of non-fatal burden in Australians aged 5 to 14, and the seventh highest overall in 2010, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (cited in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2013). In addition, a 2014 report of Australian health conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that in 2011-2012, asthma affected 10.2% of the Australian population, double that of the prevalence of heart disease and diabetes (5%) but on par with hypertension (10.2%). What is more, an Indigenous person is twice as likely to report having asthma than a non-Indigenous person (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014). Hence, asthma is

This results in Hispanics Americans living in very tightly-knit segregated urban communities, in older housing, and lack access to healthcare that can contribute to asthma exacerbation (Bhan et al., 2015). In the State of Connecticut there is a program called, Putting on AIRS or Asthma Indoor Risk Strategies. This program designed to assess environmental risk in the homes for asthmatic children and families. The hope is to reduce the frequency of asthma-related events by identifying environmental triggers. A public health nurse experienced in asthma management, conducts asthma education in the home. There is also an assessment for environmental asthma triggers in the home such as roach infestation or mold. The program follows participants over a six-month time frame, and has been shown to significantly improve outcomes for asthmatics (Nepaul et al.,

In the research study, "A qualitative exploration of asthma self-management beliefs and practices in Puerto Rican families," Martin et. al. (2010) explored the nature and dynamics of asthma management within Puerto Rican families. The rationale for this specific focus on Puerto Rican families is cited within the study, wherein a 2002 survey determined that Puerto Rican children suffered the most from asthma compared to other ethnic groups in the United States, such as Mexican, white Americans, and African American children (p. 464). This quantitative finding from a relevant literature became the foundation of the authors' study. However, it is worthy to note that the authors opted to develop the study from the qualitative perspective, specifically, using the in-depth interview (IDI) and focus group discussion (FGD) methods.

In this paper, I will explore asthma prevalence of children living in New York City. Asthma is an existing serious public health concern in inner cities and urban environments. Especially children with asthma from low SES families or minority groups face difficulties accessing health care, receiving high-quality continuous care, and preventative education. In other words, there is a disparity in the asthma prevalence and care in New York City.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children (Kahn and Boskey). Childhood asthma is when the lungs and airways become inflamed when something comes in contact to trigger it. There are different objects or activities to trigger a child’s asthma and if not treated appropriately it can cause an asthma attack. This disease can outbreak from a cold or any respiratory infection. Daily symptoms can interfere with a child’s asthma like a cold, sports, school, or play ("Childhood Asthma."). In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 5 million children under the age of 18 have this disease. In 1993 alone, asthma was the reason for almost 200,000 hospital stays and about 340 deaths under the age of 25 (Kahn and Boskey). Normally children will outgrow this disease by the time they

Asthma affects 1 in every 12 Americans. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, Asthma is affects “About 1 in 9 (11%) non-Hispanic blacks of all ages and about 1 in 6 (17%) of non-Hispanic black children had asthma in 2009, the highest rate among racial/ethnic groups.” As a mother of child with asthma, I know how scary it can be to deal with asthma attacks and learning how to treat the symptoms and minimize risk factors.

Avoiding and controlling asthma triggers is important in every phase of the intervention process in order to manage the disease. However, many times because of lack of awareness and education, asthma

Asthma is a chronic condition affecting the respiratory system and has a considerable impact on both individuals and a population. Everybody is susceptible to asthma, some more than others, depending of a variety of factors including, age, sex, geographical location and income. Asthma is particularly prevalent in younger children and the elderly and while it can be fatal, most people have mild cases of asthma that are relatively easy to treat. The condition mainly impacts an individual’s physical ability to contribute to a community.

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects a lot of patients on my pediatric floor. As a nurse I constantly educate patients and their parents on ways to prevent asthma attacks, identify triggers, and how to handle the medication regimen. A specific family that came to mind was a family of 5. My patient was 8 years old and suffered from frequent asthma attacks due to allergic asthma. She lived at home with her mom, dad, two sisters and two cats. She played soccer and video games for fun.

In a report conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, (2011) on statistics from National Health Interview survey CDC concluded that people with asthma need to have access to health care and proper medications which they need to use. If combined with self-management skills and evidence-based interventions, that modify the environment to reduce or eliminate risk factors such as allergens and irritants, most people with asthma can be symptom-free (CDC, 2011).

An education program is essential if a patient or caregiver is going to be successful in managing asthma symptoms. A one on one patient education program should be developed. First, the educations should focus on the basic facts about asthma which includes; defining well controlled asthma, purpose of medications, and appropriate use of inhaler devices.

The child I helped take care of was a 15-year-old adolescent male. He was brought into the hospital due to an asthma attack. According to his mom, he has had asthma for years and sometimes has more severe attacks causing him to come into the hospital. Throughout this paper, this child’s developmental stages and medical diagnosis will be discussed.

Childhood asthma impacts scores of youngsters and their families. In fact, the bulk of kids develop respiratory illness before the age of

Experts have yet to understand why the rates of asthma are rising by an average of 50% every decade worldwide. According to the Asthma Society of Canada (2016), asthma is now considered to be a major health concern with approximately 235 million suffering from this illness worldwide. Kuhn et al (2015) states that as at 2012, one out of 12 people in the United States had asthma and the number continues to rise. More people have been diagnosed with this disease and in 2007; over 3000 deaths were linked to Asthma. Furthermore, the costs of treating asthma continue to rise with about 56 billion dollars being spent in 2007 compared to $53 billion in 2002 (CDC, 2011). From data gathered in California, which is our area of study, it was estimated that 2.3 million