Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #107741

James F. Bogden, MPH, National Association of State Boards of Education, 277 S. Washington Street, Suite 100, Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-684-4000x108, jim.bogden@mac.com

Policies to promote the effective management of asthma in K-12 schools fall across numerous education policy areas: asthma education in the health education curriculum; identification of students with asthma; preparation of asthma action plans; asthma management education for students with asthma; staff professional development; provision of school health services; administration of medications by staff and self-administration by students; emergency response preparation; adapted physical education programs; tobacco-free schools; cleaning chemical and pesticide administration and storage; use of carpeting in school buildings; ventilation system maintenance; outdoor air quality monitoring; minimizing school bus diesel exhaust; and several additional environmental policy areas regarding human exposure to asthma triggers.

Existing state-level policies were recently collected and posted in an online policy database, which is continuously updated as laws and policies change. This presentation will summarize policy analysis findings on several of the aforementioned topics: such as that only 10 states specifically call for either asthma awareness or chronic health conditions to be addressed in school curricula; no state requires staff development about asthma; 33 states have policies regarding student possession and self-administration of prescribed medications but their policy details vary widely; and 37 states have policies about tobacco use at school but only 4 are comprehensive.

The presentation will also outline key policy recommendations that are contained in a new evidence-based school health policy guide, and will highlight several other useful policy development resources available from national organizations and state agencies.

Learning Objectives: