Chronic Health Conditions

For nearly 1 in 4* U.S. children suffering from a chronic health condition—including asthma, obesity, diabetes and behavior or learning problems—school health services are critical to supporting their academic success.  

Aside from home, kids spend more time in school than any other setting, making it an ideal place to establish policies and practices that enable them to thrive, in and out of the classroom.  

We've chosen to focus our efforts on asthma because asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic health conditions that children face today. 

 

Asthma 

We've teamed up with the American Lung Association to improve the management and care of asthma in schools to support positive health and learning outcomes among all children.  

Asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism, leading to an estimated 13.8 million missed days of school a year.† More than 10 million—or 14 percent—of all U.S. children have been diagnosed with asthma, whose symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. A leading chronic health condition among children in the United States, asthma also accounts for an estimated $62.8 billion in annual health care costs.  

At school, asthma symptoms can escalate from mild to life-threatening with little warning, underscoring the importance of implementing best practices that help kids manage asthma effectively in the classroom, in physical education class, or in afterschool programming.  

Effective management of asthma can prevent symptoms and attacks, enabling kids with the condition to lead happy, active lives before, during and after school.  

 

Get Informed  

  • Attend a Virtual Training  

The American Lung Association's Asthma Basics course is a free one-hour interactive online learning module designed to help people learn more about asthma. Register Now  

  • Update Your Wellness Policy  

Find out how you can infuse asthma-friendly practices into your wellness policy to support the health and well-being of students. View the guide.

 

* Age 2 to 8. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  

†Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Asthma’s Impact on the Nation