Asthma in ChildrenImagine a young child competing with classmates during recess and immediately losing the ability to breathe normally. He stops mid-competition and falls to the ground, holding his chest to try to get air. When you're young, it's very important to be able to keep up with your peers during recess and sporting events, but asthma limits this. Asthma has a significant impact on child development and the diagnosis of asthma in children aged 18 and under has increased significantly over the years. Asthma is known as a "chronic inflammation of the small and large airways" with "obvious bronchial hyperresponsiveness, airway obstruction, and, in some patients, subsolar fibrosis and excessive mucus secretion" (Toole, 2013). The constant re-creation of lung walls can even occur in young children and “lead to permanent lung damage and reduced lung function” (Toole, 2013). Although one factor is genetic, many of the following factors can be avoided or managed. Obesity, exposure to second-hand smoke, and hospitalization for pneumonia in the early years of life have been suggested to increase the risk of developing asthma in children. The most common environmental, individual, and agent factors that increase the risk of this serious childhood health problem are obesity, exposure to second-hand smoke, and hospitalization for pneumonia. In the United States, "the prevalence of childhood asthma increased from 3.5% in 1980 to 9.6% in 2009" and "according to a recent national survey targeting 0 to 17 year olds in the United States, nearly 25% and 13% were respectively obese and diagnosed with asthma” (Liu, Kieckhefer and Gau, 2013). According to the... middle of document......n improve adherence to medication treatment” (Toole, 2013). School-based asthma program interventions clearly appear to be the most practical and cost-effective way to reach children with asthma and manage their disease. Asthma is a serious respiratory disease that affects many children. The risk factor to take into account for this population is obesity. Addressing the need to keep children at an ideal weight is a simple way to reduce the chances of a child being diagnosed with asthma and manage their condition once diagnosed. I strongly believe that schools should adopt an asthma program to reach children who have asthma and are not receiving proper care. These tertiary prevention programs can provide them with appropriate education and maximize their quality of life throughout their childhood into adulthood..