Sammi and Her Asthma – Influences on Health

This is Sammi, she’s 11 now, but when she was in elementary school, Alex tutored her. Sammi has asthma and especially when she was younger, she had to go to the hospital a few times each year due to exacerbations. She missed a lot of school, and as a result, her reading skills suffered. It’s incredibly important that children have good literacy skills once they leave elementary school. In early elementary school, they learn to read, so that later they can read to learn.

Think about what could have influenced Sammi’s health, specifically her poorly controlled asthma.

 

Sammi was born with the predisposition for reactive airway disease, so we know that genetics plays a role. But what else?

  • Sammi’s exposed to a lot of dust, poor air quality, and temperature extremes (very hot in the summer and cold in the winter)… why?
    • Well, Sammi and her family live in a fairly inexpensive apartment… why?
    • Sammi’s parents do not have very much money… why?
    • They work low-paying jobs… why?
    • They do not have beyond a high school education and the job market is very challenging.
  • Why is Sammi exposed to such poor air quality?
    • She and her family live in an urban neighborhood that’s close to some factories and the highways around the city… why?
    • Rent there is lower, and allows the family to have 2 separate bedrooms, rather than everyone sharing.
    • Sammi’s parents share 1 vehicle between themselves, so they have to rely on public transportation, and therefore need to live near the urban center.