1800 278 462
Young People with Asthma – 12-24 years
We know it ain’t easy being wheezy!
Asthma affects 2.7 million Australians and of those, 300,000 are youth, shown to have double the risk of experiencing mental health issues, in comparison to their peers without asthma.
People with asthma no matter what age, face a variety of challenges when it comes to health and wellbeing. Like all people with asthma, young people with asthma face direct physical impacts of their condition, as well as social, psychological, and functional impacts, often heightened by developmental challenges posed by adolescence.
A survey on youth and asthma conducted as part of the National Young People and Asthma Strategy (NYPAS) highlighted a few areas of concern for people with asthma aged between 12- 24 years, including:
- Most young people (63%) had poor asthma control, with 90% of young people reporting experiencing shortness of breath at least once a week in the last four weeks.
- This leads to a broader impact on the quality of life, with 56% of young people reporting asthma hinders their enjoyment of life to some degree.
- 42% of young people had to miss school, university, TAFE or work in the previous 12 months because of their asthma
- Only 60% of young people reported taking their preventer medication every day and only half had a written Asthma Action Plan
- 12% of young people reported they currently smoked.
View full report here.
As you can see above, there is a lot of work to be done for young people with asthma and we are here to help every age group to live their life, to breathe easy. Not just to live, but to have a full and empowered life, striving for goals and achieving them. A life without limits. We want to get young people talking about asthma, we want to create awareness and educate young people on the seriousness and complex nature of asthma. We want all people with asthma to feel confident in their asthma management.
To do this, we have a range of tools and resources available, see below:
TAKE THE ASTHMA CONTROL TEST
Teens with asthma who think they have controlled asthma, usually don’t – so it is important to do regular asthma control tests.
The Asthma Control Test is available for persons 12+
HAVE A WRITTEN ASTHMA ACTION PLAN
A written Asthma Action Plan can help you manage your asthma every day and help you to recognise when your asthma is getting worse. Your doctor can complete or update your written Asthma Action Plan to ensure your asthma is controlled.
Download template here
LEARN ASTHMA FIRST AID STEPS
Access Asthma First Aid poster here
SPEAK TO AN ASTHMA EDUCATOR – ASK THEM ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT ASTHMA
To talk with an Asthma Australia Educator about your asthma and how you’re impacted, call our free 1800 ASTHMA service (1800 278 462).
1800 ASTHMA operates between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm Monday to Friday, or you can book a call online and one of our Asthma Educators will call you back as soon as next available.
SHARE YOUR ASTHMA STORY
We know there are a diverse range of issues affecting people with asthma and their loved ones. That’s why your voice matters.
Our Asthma Champions help us shine a light on the challenges people with asthma face. Share your story here.