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The prevalence and management of asthma in primary-aged schoolchildren in the south of England

The prevalence and management of asthma in primary-aged schoolchildren in the south of England
The prevalence and management of asthma in primary-aged schoolchildren in the south of England
A postal questionnaire survey of headteachers in 149 Infant, Junior and Primary schools (response rate: 63.8%) indicated poor asthma record keeping and a need for regular staff training in asthma. Dealing with an emergency was a major concern of headteachers. In 25 of the schools surveyed, an International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire was distributed to parents of children in Years 3 and 4 (7–9 years). Headteacher-reported asthma prevalence was 11.9% in these schools, while ISAAC parental reports indicated a current or previous diagnosis of asthma in 24.3% children, with 17.8% receiving asthma treatment and 18.9% reporting wheeze in the previous 12 months. Of six wheezing children per Year 3/4 class, one was receiving no treatment for asthma, three had experienced four or more attacks of wheeze in the previous year with one wheezing child per two Year 3/4 classes experiencing more than 12 such attacks. Four in six children experienced exercise-related wheeze, while only one in five schools allowed asthma medication at Physical Education lessons. A whole school policy on asthma together with some regularly updated staff education and training by an asthma-trained nurse would address many of the issues raised in this study.
1465-3648
181-194
McCann, Donna
8c5e4455-018a-475e-a2e3-3faca15f7ddf
McWhirter, Jenny
95144285-7932-4dbf-8699-ae6a6ae147a8
Coleman, Helen
2179899b-3eb3-421f-ad84-7b8911cad44c
Devall, Isobel
47d14c65-de00-4169-b825-52dca330478a
Calvert, Marguerite
c5bd81da-1154-4a2b-9bbf-39d3e8356fdd
Weare, Katherine
3f5bedd8-374f-4fdf-bd92-251ebc4c3d6c
Warner, John
8571b049-31bb-4a2a-a3c7-4184be20fe25
McCann, Donna
8c5e4455-018a-475e-a2e3-3faca15f7ddf
McWhirter, Jenny
95144285-7932-4dbf-8699-ae6a6ae147a8
Coleman, Helen
2179899b-3eb3-421f-ad84-7b8911cad44c
Devall, Isobel
47d14c65-de00-4169-b825-52dca330478a
Calvert, Marguerite
c5bd81da-1154-4a2b-9bbf-39d3e8356fdd
Weare, Katherine
3f5bedd8-374f-4fdf-bd92-251ebc4c3d6c
Warner, John
8571b049-31bb-4a2a-a3c7-4184be20fe25

McCann, Donna, McWhirter, Jenny, Coleman, Helen, Devall, Isobel, Calvert, Marguerite, Weare, Katherine and Warner, John (2002) The prevalence and management of asthma in primary-aged schoolchildren in the south of England. Health Education Research, 17 (2), 181-194.

Record type: Article

Abstract

A postal questionnaire survey of headteachers in 149 Infant, Junior and Primary schools (response rate: 63.8%) indicated poor asthma record keeping and a need for regular staff training in asthma. Dealing with an emergency was a major concern of headteachers. In 25 of the schools surveyed, an International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire was distributed to parents of children in Years 3 and 4 (7–9 years). Headteacher-reported asthma prevalence was 11.9% in these schools, while ISAAC parental reports indicated a current or previous diagnosis of asthma in 24.3% children, with 17.8% receiving asthma treatment and 18.9% reporting wheeze in the previous 12 months. Of six wheezing children per Year 3/4 class, one was receiving no treatment for asthma, three had experienced four or more attacks of wheeze in the previous year with one wheezing child per two Year 3/4 classes experiencing more than 12 such attacks. Four in six children experienced exercise-related wheeze, while only one in five schools allowed asthma medication at Physical Education lessons. A whole school policy on asthma together with some regularly updated staff education and training by an asthma-trained nurse would address many of the issues raised in this study.

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Published date: 2002

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 27260
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/27260
ISSN: 1465-3648
PURE UUID: 57162bfb-cbb2-4f3c-9250-85f04dc727be

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Date deposited: 27 Apr 2006
Last modified: 08 Jan 2022 06:52

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Contributors

Author: Donna McCann
Author: Jenny McWhirter
Author: Helen Coleman
Author: Isobel Devall
Author: Marguerite Calvert
Author: Katherine Weare
Author: John Warner

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