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Other important goals set forth by the NHLBI as measures of optimal asthma control are no missed school or work and the ability to maintain normal activity levels, including exercise and other physical activities. The survey reveals that the management of asthma in children falls short of these measures. Consequently, asthma forces many children to accept a lower quality of life than children without asthma.
Missed School/Work
- The majority (54%) of children four to 18 years of age with asthma missed school (or daycare) in the past year as a result of their asthma (Figure 12)
- On average, children missed nearly four (3.7) days of school in the past year because of asthma (Figure 12); when this number of school days missed is applied to the estimated 5.8 million children in this age group with asthma, the survey estimate translates into approximately 21 million school days lost per year due to asthma
- Almost one in 10 (9%) children with asthma missed more than two weeks of school in the past year as a result of their condition (Figure 12)
- More than a third (39%) of parents missed work in the past year as a result of their child’s asthma, and more than one in 10 (11%) missed more than a week of work in the past year as a result of their child’s condition (Figure 13)
- On average, parents missed nearly three (2.6) days of work due to their child’s asthma in the past year (Figure 13); when this number of work days lost is applied to parents of the 5.8 million children in this age group with asthma, this translates into more than 15 million lost work days per year for parents of children with asthma
Avoiding Activities
Poor management of asthma means that many children with the condition are sometimes forced to avoid or limit activities that are important to them.
- Nearly two in five (37%) respondents reported that asthma interfered a lot or some with their or their child’s life (Figure 14)
- Nearly two-thirds (62%) of children with asthma were limited a lot or some in at least one of the following activities: playing organized sports, outdoor activities, having pets, sleeping, going out/playing with friends, doing things with their family, doing well in school and participating in school activities (Figure 15)
Emotional Well-being
In addition to missing the mark on these quality of life indicators, uncontrolled asthma can impact the emotional well-being of affected children. As a result of their asthma:
- Nearly one in three children (30%) with asthma often or sometimes felt fearful (Figure 16)
- Nearly one in three children (30%) with asthma often or sometimes felt angry (Figure 16)
- One out of five (20%) often or sometimes felt depressed (Figure 16)
- About one in five children (19%) often or sometimes felt embarrassed (Figure 16)
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