Chapter 4: The Intersection of Asthma and Anxiety in Urban Minority Youth

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2023), asthma is the most common childhood chronic condition. Affecting approximately 7.1 million children, asthma is characterized by wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. Although intermittent symptoms generally characterize childhood onset asthma, some children may experience daily symptoms. Since their bodies are still developing, children are typically more sensitive to environmental allergens that trigger asthma symptoms, such as air pollutants, pollen, mold, dust, food, and cockroaches. These risk factors are particularly relevant to urban minority children who have greater exposure to environmental allergens and pollutants and thereby, have increased vulnerability to asthma (Forno & Celedon, 2009; Nishimura et al., 2013). This elevated exposure to allergens and pollutants leaves urban minority youth at heightened risk for higher morbidity and mortality rates (American Lung Association [ALA], 2023), mental health comorbidities (Dudeney et al., 2017), and negative effects on academic functioning (Koinis-Mitchell et al., 2019).