Kids with asthma three times more likely to quit high school early

KIDS with asthma are three times more likely to leave school early and may even end up working less mentally stimulating jobs, a disturbing 20-year study of the condition has revealed.

NEW research has found children with asthma are at least three times more likely to drop out of school and work less mentally stimulating jobs as adults, when compared to children who live asthma-free lives.

Asthma Australia says the findings aren’t surprising and stress the need for long-term support of asthma sufferers, to ensure kids with the disease aren’t slipping through the cracks when it comes to education and securing long-term employment.

The Swedish study, which was presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress on Sunday, found that people who suffer persistent asthma as a child are more likely to leave school at 16 years old. Those who do go onto university are more likely to drop out before they finish their third year of study.

The research also found when kids with childhood asthma grow up, they’re less likely to work in non-manual occupations such as nursing and policing (jobs which are considered to require higher mental effort).

When kids with childhood asthma grow up, they’re less likely to work in non-manual occupations such as nursing and policing - a new study has found. Picture: iStock

The research led by Dr Christian Schyllert — a clinician at Stockholm’s Karolinska University Hospital — suggests children with asthma are disadvantaged in education and in their future job prospects.

“Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases among children and we know that it can interfere with daily life and affect school attendance. However, we know a lot less about the impact childhood asthma has on subsequent life chances in adulthood,” Dr Schyllert said.

“This study suggests that children who are diagnosed with asthma when they are young and continue to suffer with the condition as they grow up have worse life chances when it comes to their education and future jobs,” he said.

Dr Schyllert said the reasons why were unknown at this stage, but other research which indicated a lower school attendance for asthma sufferers could be a factor in why these kids find it harder to remain in the education system.

People who suffer persistent asthma as a child are more likely to leave school at 16, a new study has found. Picture: AAP

ASTHMA AND EDUCATION: HOW THE LINK WAS MADE

The research team followed the lives of 2291 children living across three districts in Sweden from 1996 to 2015.

All children were aged between seven and eight when they began the study and the team followed up with them at age 11-12, 19 and 27-28 years old.

The children with asthma whose lives were followed during the study were diagnosed by a doctor and had to have taken asthma medication within 12 months of the study commencing.

Children were considered to have ‘early-onset, persistent asthma’ if they were first diagnosed before the age of 12 and were still suffering with asthma at 19.

The researchers then looked at when the children left the education system and what jobs they worked in as adults.

The study was funded by the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation and the Swedish Asthma-Allergy Foundation.

The study followed the lives of children with asthma from 7-28-years-old.

THE FINDINGS: HIGH DROP OUT RATES IN ASTHMA SUFFERERS

Dr Schyllert’s team determined that children with early-onset asthma were three and a half times more likely than children without asthma to leave school at the age of 16 with only basic education.

Asthmatics were also twice as likely to drop out of university before completing three years of study.

When looking at the adult careers of kids with childhood asthma, they were less than half as likely to work in non-manual occupations such as nurses, police officers, musicians and foremen.

“It could also be that people with poorly-controlled symptoms are less inclined to enter certain occupations, especially those requiring stamina, or jobs where they might be exposed to possible asthma triggers, such as dust or vapours,” Dr Schyllert said.

Dr Schyllert said BMI, smoker status, gender and family history of asthma were all considered during participant analysis.

The researchers plan to follow up with the same group in ten years’ time when the subjects will be 35 years old.

Asthma affects one in nine Australians. Picture: Istock.

AUSTRALIA’S ASTHMA PROBLEM

Currently asthma affects one in nine Australians and still kills more than 400 people a year.

Thirty-one per cent of Australians don’t know the disease is life threatening and 27 per cent believe you can outgrow it.

Dr Schyllert said the research indicated that it was important for parents to make sure their kids stuck with diagnosed asthma treatments long-term.

“Until we know more about exactly why childhood asthma effects education and job prospects, the key message for families is try to ensure children stick to their asthma treatments and to speak to a doctor if symptoms aren’t under control.”

Asthma Australia’s senior manager of research, policy and advocacy Anthony Flynn said the new findings supported recent evidence that people with mental health issues were more likely to have asthma symptoms than the general population.

“It’s consistent with what we understand to be an excessive burden on young people with asthma,” Mr Flynn said.

“We know that in Australia children between the age of five and 14 are burdened by asthma more than any other disease.

“This is the first time we’ve heard what it can mean (for asthma sufferers) and that’s really impactful.”

Mr Flynn felt the research backed calls for better chronic disease management in Australia — he said the current system was not built to support asthma sufferers long term (from childhood into adulthood).

“We’ve got the asthma mortality rate under control but we’re now seeing the insidious impact it’s having long-term on peoples’ lives,” he said.

Originally published as Kids with asthma three times more likely to quit high school early