We conducted a random-digit-dial telephone survey of all households in Georgia with children under 18 years of age. Parents were asked asthma-related questions for each child living in the home. The survey indicates that 11% of children 0-17 years of age have asthma. Among households with children, 16% have a child with asthma. Among children with asthma, 65% have had an asthma attack and 30% have been to an emergency room because of asthma in the last year. In the past year, 54% of Georgia children 5-17 years of age with asthma missed an estimated 540,000 days of school due to asthma, or about 5% of the total number of days missed by all students for any reason. In the past year, 30% of parents of children with asthma missed an estimated 390,000 days of work or school, because of the child's asthma. Twenty-nine percent of children with asthma live in a household where at least one person smokes inside the house. This survey suggests that asthma in Georgia has a significant impact on children's health and activities, and that the burden of asthma in Georgia could be decreased by reducing the exposure of children with asthma to second-hand tobacco smoke.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation, particpants will be able to articulate basic facts about prevalence and impact of asthma in Georgia children, and the prevalence of second-hand smoke exposure among children with asthma in Georgia. Participants will be able to discuss the impact of secondhand smoke on asthma.
Keywords: Asthma, Smoking
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.