Asthma: More than a medical problem?
intervention | phenomenon | priority | suspend | transmit
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Think Scientifically
Think Scientifically
The students in Mr. Seemy’s class are talking about air pollution because Victor is concerned about his asthma acting up. He has a track meet after school, but the pollution has been particularly bad this week.
“Smog is definitely one of the main triggers for my asthma, so I have to be careful,” says Victor. “It’s a hassle. I love competing, but I have to pay close attention to my breathing, suspend strenuous activity like sports if I start to have any trouble breathing, and be prepared to intervene by using my inhaler. It usually works out okay, but I wish people would do more to keep the air clean.”
“I’ve heard that air pollution not only triggers asthma attacks for some people with asthma, it can also cause more people to develop asthma in the first place,” says Jorge. “It’s more than just a medical phenomenon, it’s a social injustice because some people can’t afford to move out of polluted areas and into more expensive neighborhoods with cleaner air.”
“Yeah,” says Victor. “There have been studies that look at kids who live in communities with different levels of ozone pollution from traffic. Among kids who play a lot of sports, the ones living and going to school in places with more ozone were three times more likely to develop asthma than the ones in less polluted neighborhoods.”
“Three times more?” said Jorge. “Man, it seems like it would be healthier to just not exercise if you live or go to school near a freeway. Who wants to develop asthma if you can avoid it?”
“No way,” said Victor. “Air pollution is a problem, but exercise is a priority if you want to stay healthy.”
With Mr. Seemy’s encouragement, Victor and Jorge found a press release about a study by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Resources Board and the University of Southern California. Here is an excerpt from the press release:
Previous evidence has shown that ozone, one of the most health-damaging air pollutants, can aggravate existing cases of asthma. The new ARB-USC study, however, points strongly to ozone as a cause in the development of asthma in young people who did not previously have the disease.
The study compared new asthma cases in 3,535 children who were followed over five years in 12 Southern California communities to determine the potential health damage caused by growing up in polluted air. Six of the communities had higher than average ozone concentrations while six had lower than average concentrations.
Researchers further refined the study by looking at children who played up to three team sports. The study showed that children in the high ozone communities who played three or more sports developed asthma at a rate three times higher than those in the low ozone communities. Because participation in some sports can result in a child drawing up to 17 times the “normal” amount of air into the lungs, young athletes are more likely to develop asthma.
Data Source: http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr013102.htm
The study compared new asthma cases in 3,535 children who were followed over five years in 12 Southern California communities to determine the potential health damage caused by growing up in polluted air. Six of the communities had higher than average ozone concentrations while six had lower than average concentrations.
Researchers further refined the study by looking at children who played up to three team sports. The study showed that children in the high ozone communities who played three or more sports developed asthma at a rate three times higher than those in the low ozone communities. Because participation in some sports can result in a child drawing up to 17 times the “normal” amount of air into the lungs, young athletes are more likely to develop asthma.
Data Source: http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr013102.htm
Based on the press release excerpt above, does this study make any recommendations about how much exercise children in polluted communities should get?
Discussion Question:
Discussion Question:
Who do you think is right: Jorge, who thinks children in polluted communities should exercise less to avoid developing asthma; or Victor, who thinks exercise is a health priority that outweighs the risk of developing asthma?
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