1 in 6
high schoolers has asthma, CDC finds
Study says educators should do
more to help
Friday, August 12, 2005 •
REUTERS
ATLANTA -- One of every six U.S. high
school students suffers from asthma and more than one-third
of those report having had an attack in the previous year,
according to a federal study released yesterday that
suggests schools should do more to manage the potentially
fatal lung disease.
Asthma, which is marked by breathing
difficulties, coughing and inflammation of the airways,
disproportionately affects children and adolescents. In some
states, it is the leading cause of absenteeism in
schools.
In 2003, an estimated 16.1 percent of
those enrolled in grades 9 through 12 said they were
suffering from the disease, according to a survey of more
than 13,000 students by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Nearly 38 percent reported an asthma
attack or episode in the 12 months before the survey, the
CDC said.
The current rate of asthma reported by
the students was about double that found in a separate 2003
federal study that polled parents. CDC researchers said more
research was needed to explain the factors behind the
discrepancy.
The Atlanta-based agency, however, urged
educators to develop plans to deal with students' asthma,
which can be triggered by exposure to certain allergens
commonly found in schools, such as chalk dust, mold and
cleaning products.
Teen smoking and exposure to diesel fuel
from school buses also may contribute to attacks in
classrooms.
"Schools can help improve asthma
management among students whose asthma is not
well-controlled by providing health services, education and
control of environmental triggers," the CDC said in a weekly
health report.
The CDC published its study amid growing
debate over the scope of asthma in the nation. Although
overall cases of the disease rose 75 percent between 1980
and 1998, there are signs that the disease has stabilized
since then.
© 2005 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with
permission.
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