According to the 2018 Chatham County Community Assessment, 1 in 9 Chatham adults and teens say they have asthma, along with more than 1 in 6 middle schoolers.
The Chatham County Public Health Department is trying a new tactic to help those people, particularly children, stay healthy.
The Asthma Intervention Program provides free supplies and health counseling to help families and children eliminate or reduce asthma triggers within the home. Michael Zelek, the division director for Health Promotion and Policy within the Chatham health department, said the numbers in the CCCA — as well as what he described as “an uptick” of emergency department visits in the county due to asthma last year — cause the department to look at ways to help residents. The program is specifically aimed to help children up to 17 years of age with poorly-controlled asthma.
“This is something of concern for us,” Zelek said, “given the health-related complications related to asthma, which can lead to a rise in emergency department visits, and highlights the importance of programs to manage asthma and reduce environmental triggers.”
The program works like this: a team from the health department will meet with interested families and work together to identify asthma triggers. Common triggers include cigarette smoke, dust, mold and allergens. Once those triggers are identified, the health department can help provide a plan as well as several items — such as allergen-free mattress and pillow covers, mops, humidifiers, dehumidifiers and a green cleaning kit — to push back.
Zelek said that because asthma is “likely caused by both environmental and genetic factors,” as well as the various triggers, pairing medication with initiatives like the Asthma Intervention Program is an effective approach.
“The goal of the Asthma Intervention Program is to control asthma among Chatham’s youth who are at risk of asthma attacks,” he said. “Because environmental triggers in the home are often the cause of asthma symptoms, the kits distributed through the program include supplies aimed at addressing these triggers.”
Asthma is the leading chronic illness among children and adolescents in the United States and one of the leading causes of school absenteeism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state Department of Health and Human Services reported in 2011 that asthma was the leading cause of children not going to school in North Carolina.
Nellie Benitez, an outreach worker with the Public Health Department, cited the effect on a child’s academic performance as one of the reasons why this program was necessary.
“Children with asthma may miss school or not be able to participate in physical activity,” Benitez said. “Through this program, we can provide education to families to identify and control asthma triggers so the children can grow up healthy.”
Zelek said nine families have received kits and that the department is working to raise awareness of the program to serve more families. He emphasized that the Asthma Intervention Program isn’t about shaming people, but helping them.
“We’re hoping that getting the word out and raising awareness of this opportunity will increase participation,” Zelek said. “This is a voluntary program that is not meant to be punitive or cast blame, but rather work with residents to make their homes healthy environments for their children.”
To learn more information about the program or start taking the steps to receive a kit, contact Public Health Nurse Elizabeth Fridley at (919) 545-8388 or elizabeth.fridley@chathamnc.org. More information can also be accessed at chathamnc.org/asthma.
Reporter Zachary Horner can be reached at zhorner@chathamnr.com or on Twitter at @ZachHornerCNR.