"The city's childhood asthma rates are high--even higher than Harlem's, by some estimates--and seem to be on the rise."
"Both neighborhoods feature a network of cramped, poorly ventilated row homes, and too many are filled with pet dander, rodents and even cockroach feces--among the known asthma triggers."
"Both Nicholas and Mangione also point to outdoor, manmade factors, including air pollution and vehicle emissions, as secondary yet significant asthma triggers."
"As long as asthma triggers continue to embed themselves in the lungs of city residents, the Philadelphia Asthma Task Force will embed itself in the city's problem areas."
What is the main point of the article, and how is it supported?
The article is exposing the work of Sal Mangione, a medical professional. His research comes from the data collected on an 'asthma bus.' The bus provides fun ways to teach kids about asthma and "triggers of respiratory disease"
TV's, books, people dressed up cartoon characters
Visited 73 public schools, tested 8,000+ kids
25% of kids have been diagnosed with asthma
He believes that about 30% showed symptoms (around 5% undiagnosed)
Compares the environment to that of Harlem, which has very high rates of asthma
Except, Philadelphia has more industry, therefore more air pollution, and therefore higher rates of asthma
The article also addresses the concept of triggers of asthma
A gene determines whether or not a child will develop asthma
Environmental impacts affect the intensity and frequency of the asthmatic attacks
Mangione and Nicholas define asthma triggers
hard to identify one trigger for an asthmatic attack of one patient
nearby air pollution and high rates of automotive emissions are definitely triggers
Programs have been established to educate and treat asthma patients
Philadelphia Asthma Task Force established
"asthma experts and community leaders"
to treat asthma and teach avoidance of triggers
Community Asthma Prevention Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Held 5 week programs on inhibition of asthma development in Philadelphians.
What actors (individuals or organizations) are referred to? (Provide names and short descriptions.)
Sal Mangione
asthma researcher and professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Runs an asthma bus, visiting schools
Concerned about the respiration of the youth of Philadelphia
"asthma [is] the leading cause of hospitalization among children, as well as the No. 1 reason cited for missed school days"
Dr. Stephen Nicholas
Studied asthma rates in children of Harlem
Claudia Kane
Project manager for the Philadelphia Asthma Task Force
Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens
"medical director of the Community Asthma Prevention Program"
What kind of causation or responsibility is argued or implied in the article?
More pollution is accumulated from industrial sources, making Philadelphia have more asthmatic children than Harlem.
Educational services can help people treat and prevent intense asthma outbreaks.
Therefore, after finding out the high rates of children with asthma, the community responded by starting outreach groups and programs.
How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report?
A health disparity discussed in this article was about genetic makeup. One has to be genetically predisposed to develop asthma. Therefore, those without the asthma gene have no chance of ever having the respiratory problem.
They can still develop respiratory problems from environmental or habitual sources.
What three points, details or references from the article did you follow up on to advance your understanding of the issued and actors described in the article?
This article is from 2003. I followed up to see if the Philadelphia Asthma Task Force has been active recently.
Found posts about it from 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001.
Seems to have been inactive for almost 15 years.
I looked into the Community Asthma Prevention Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
They hold home visits, school programs, and 'primary care physician education'
over 2,700 participants!
A member (asthma expert) participated in a discussion with the president and other professionals about climate change and community health.
I searched for more recent rates of asthma in kids.
"Philadelphia's child asthma hospitalization rate is 1,001 per 100,000 children under 18. This rate more than doubled between 2000 and 2010. It is highest among non-Hispanic black children and among children in the River Wards planning district. City/county data are not available."
Gian Sachdev, "Breath Savers," Philadelphia Weekly, May 7, 2003, http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/breath_savers-38366799.html?printView=y.
What two (or more) quotes capture the message of the article?
- "The city's childhood asthma rates are high--even higher than Harlem's, by some estimates--and seem to be on the rise."
- "Both neighborhoods feature a network of cramped, poorly ventilated row homes, and too many are filled with pet dander, rodents and even cockroach feces--among the known asthma triggers."
- "Both Nicholas and Mangione also point to outdoor, manmade factors, including air pollution and vehicle emissions, as secondary yet significant asthma triggers."
- "As long as asthma triggers continue to embed themselves in the lungs of city residents, the Philadelphia Asthma Task Force will embed itself in the city's problem areas."
What is the main point of the article, and how is it supported?- The article is exposing the work of Sal Mangione, a medical professional. His research comes from the data collected on an 'asthma bus.' The bus provides fun ways to teach kids about asthma and "triggers of respiratory disease"
- TV's, books, people dressed up cartoon characters
- Visited 73 public schools, tested 8,000+ kids
- 25% of kids have been diagnosed with asthma
- He believes that about 30% showed symptoms (around 5% undiagnosed)
- Compares the environment to that of Harlem, which has very high rates of asthma
- Except, Philadelphia has more industry, therefore more air pollution, and therefore higher rates of asthma
- The article also addresses the concept of triggers of asthma
- A gene determines whether or not a child will develop asthma
- Environmental impacts affect the intensity and frequency of the asthmatic attacks
- Mangione and Nicholas define asthma triggers
- hard to identify one trigger for an asthmatic attack of one patient
- nearby air pollution and high rates of automotive emissions are definitely triggers
- Programs have been established to educate and treat asthma patients
- Philadelphia Asthma Task Force established
- "asthma experts and community leaders"
- to treat asthma and teach avoidance of triggers
- Community Asthma Prevention Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Held 5 week programs on inhibition of asthma development in Philadelphians.
What actors (individuals or organizations) are referred to? (Provide names and short descriptions.)- Sal Mangione
- asthma researcher and professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
- Runs an asthma bus, visiting schools
- Concerned about the respiration of the youth of Philadelphia
- "asthma [is] the leading cause of hospitalization among children, as well as the No. 1 reason cited for missed school days"
- Dr. Stephen Nicholas
- Studied asthma rates in children of Harlem
- Claudia Kane
- Project manager for the Philadelphia Asthma Task Force
- Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens
- "medical director of the Community Asthma Prevention Program"
What kind of causation or responsibility is argued or implied in the article?- More pollution is accumulated from industrial sources, making Philadelphia have more asthmatic children than Harlem.
- Educational services can help people treat and prevent intense asthma outbreaks.
- Therefore, after finding out the high rates of children with asthma, the community responded by starting outreach groups and programs.
How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report?- A health disparity discussed in this article was about genetic makeup. One has to be genetically predisposed to develop asthma. Therefore, those without the asthma gene have no chance of ever having the respiratory problem.
- They can still develop respiratory problems from environmental or habitual sources.
What three points, details or references from the article did you follow up on to advance your understanding of the issued and actors described in the article?