Asthma is the leading serious chronic illness among children accounting for 10 million lost school days each year. Lost school days can often translate into truancy as defined by an individual school district or school. National data document that truant children are more likely to fall behind in their schoolwork, drop out of school, and be confronted by tremendous economic and criminal justice problems. This 1999-2000 graduate public health nursing project examined the issues of childhood asthma, excessive school absenteeism, and truancy patterns of elementary and middle school aged children enrolled in two School District of Philadelphia public schools (N=2000). Approximately twelve percent of this student population is asthmatic. Twenty family caregivers participating in the Community Coalition of Minority Children's Health (CCMCH) were surveyed about management of childhood asthma and local school attendance patterns. Survey results in combination with school audits, key informant interviews, family home visits and on site interviews with students and parents provided the framework for parent, child and teacher workshops "Staying Healthy, In School and Achieving". These innovative workshops were developed to educate participants about managing asthma, the outcomes of truancy, basic "time management" skills and the significance of environmental, social, and economic factors that influence health and children achieving. This presentation summarizes the participants' feedback about the workshops offered in community and school settings. It highlights the ongoing need for this and other innovative public health nursing interventions with vulnerable at risk urban minority populations.
Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will be able to define truancy 2. Participants will be able to learn parallel issues between asthma abseteeism and truancy. 3. Participants will be able to describe one intervention a public health nurse can apply to truant situations
Keywords: Asthma, Children's Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Community Coalition of Minority Children's Health has grant from the Office of Minority Health to work with children with asthma and prenatal populations
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.