Description of the health issue
Asthma is a chronic condition that affects the airways of individuals. Airways are the tubes that help in carrying air in and outside of the lungs. In case of asthma, the inside walls of the airways become sore and swollen making it difficult for them to breathe. Children who are suffering from asthma are seen to experience wheezing, coughing, chest tightness as well as troubled breathing. In the case study as well, the teenage child was seen to suffer from the disorder. Researchers are of the opinion that a number of factors trigger the occurrence of the disorder (Azzopardi et al., 2018). These are the allergens like mold, pollens as well as animals. Irritants like cigarette, smoke and air pollution along with cold air and changes in weather can also exacerbate the situations. Exercise, flu and common cold also influence the symptoms. The child of the case study has seen to undertake exercise, inhale smoke from cigarettes exhaled by his mother and affected by the mould. These had exacerbated his symptoms making him suffer from asthma attack. 1 in 9 Australians have been reported in having asthma in 2014 to 2015 and about 421 deaths sue to asthma have taken place in 2015. Only 1 in 5 people have been seen to possess a written asthma action plan that is based on 2014 to 2015 self-reported data mainly in age of 15 and above (Asthma Snapshot, 2018). Asthma is more common in the indigenous children in comparison to the non-indigenous children with a prevalence of 14.6% in native children and 9.35 in non-native children. 2012-2013 Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey have published this data
One of the most important social determinants of health is the addiction as stated by the World health organization. The mother of the child is seen to be addicted to smoking of tobaccos. This addiction is one of the determinants of poor health condition of the child (Jenkins et al., 2009). Researchers are of the opinion that substances in the tobacco smoke have the ability to irritate the airways. They make the airways swollen, narrow and fill them with mucus in the patients who are vulnerable towards it. Moreover, smoking also causes damage to the tiny hair-like structures in the airways called the cilia. The cultural traditions of the native people expose them to smoking from a very young age (Swan, 2008). When mothers smoke during pregnancy, the child in her womb might not have normal births or he might be born with various disorders. This smoking behavior is one of the social determinants of health that is affecting the teenage child. Another social determinant is their poor socio-economic status. People of such cohort face difficulty in ensuring finical security in life and is exposed to various disorders. In the case study, the family is seen to belong to such cohort where they do not have the financial strength to move into a new place that is free from any infection. The environmental determinant is the poor housing system where the family lives with the child. There are moulds present in the house where they stay and this condition increases the chances of exacerbation in the affected individual. Therefore, it can be seen that low socioeconomic status and addiction of the mother to smoking are the two social determinants and presence of moulds in the physical environment are the conditions that influence the disorder in the teenage patient.
Social and environmental determinants of health
Condobolin, NSW possesses a number of healthcare services that provide culturally competent healthcare services to the native people residing in the region. One of the most famous healthcare service centers in this region is the Condobolin Aboriginal Health service. Murrin Bridge Aboriginal Health Services, Lake Caegelligo Family Practices, Peak hill Community Practice, Peak hill Aboriginal Medical services are some of the Aboriginal health care services present in the nation. Some of the others are the Currajong Street Medical Centre Aboriginal Health Services, Yoorana gunya Family Healing Centre are some of the others (Aboriginal Health Services CONDOBOLIN, 2018). Gary and his family may seek for service from one of the fifty aboriginal health care services in this region according to their accessibility and convenient and can work accordingly to the healthcare professionals to develop the health of the patient.
The care services that are mentioned above are the aboriginal health services called as the AHS. For a large number of years, the Indigenous Australians have suffered culturally incompetent care from the western healthcare professionals. Many of the Indigenous Australians were seen to avoid the western healthcare services as they felt that their cultural traditions, perceptions and inhibitions were not respected. Therefore, AHS have been established in the regions with the sole aim of providing culturally competent care where professional would be having cultural knowledge, cultural sensitivity and cultural awareness (Valery et al., 2016). The care services in the region also employ aboriginal healthcare workers who can easily understand and communicate the different care services along with culturally competent healthcare professionals. Different types of services are provided by the aboriginal healthcare services in order to bridge the health status gap between the natives and the non-natives and help in addressing the inequality they face by ensuring health services that meet the needs of the Indigenous Australians. They work in close approximation with the Indigenous Australians communities and invite participation from the Indigenous Australians (Jongen et al., 2018). They provide heath screening tests, chronic diseases managements, illness prevention and counseling, healthy lifestyle advice, adult and child health checkups, healthcare plans and referrals. Therefore, Gary and his family would be getting immense help and culturally competent services from the centers.
It is very important for the professionals to identify the health literacy level of the child and the caregiver. Accordingly, they should be first educating the child and the family members about the disorder in nonprofessional language and make them understand the disorder (Coombes et al., 2018). Following this, they should educate them about the different triggers that cause asthma attacks and how their behavioral modifications can prevent occurrences of such exacerbations. In this case, Gary’s mother should be advised not to smoke for the betterment of her son and should be referred to concerned authorities so that they can get help regarding their housing issues like mould infection control or changing to a new place.
The professionals should first track the asthma symptoms and then the triggers affecting the patient. The child should be taught to use peak flow readings by properly learning to use the peak flow meter. This would help in understanding the condition of the lungs day to day. Asthma plan will be prepared for the child with the use of the traffic light system of green, blue and red zones (Stumbles et al., 2018). This will correspond to worsen symptoms. Medications should be adjusted and the teenager and caregiver should be taught to understand emergency conditions when it arise and immediately seek for help. Proper avoiding of triggers of asthma, regular check-ups and proper lifestyle interventions are to be followed by Gary and his family members effectively.
References:
Aboriginal Health Services CONDOBOLIN, NSW 2877 (2018), Healthdirect, retrieved from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-health-services/results/condobolin-2877/tihcs-aht-10006/aboriginal-health-services?undefined&pageIndex=2&tab=SITE_VISIT
Asthma Snapshot, 2018 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Retrieved from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-respiratory-conditions/asthma/data
Azzopardi, P. S., Sawyer, S. M., Carlin, J. B., Degenhardt, L., Brown, N., Brown, A. D., & Patton, G. C. (2018). Health and wellbeing of Indigenous adolescents in Australia: a systematic synthesis of population data. The Lancet, 391(10122), 766-782. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32141-4
Coombes, J., Hunter, K., Mackean, T., Holland, A. J., Sullivan, E., & Ivers, R. (2018). Factors that impact access to ongoing health care for First Nation children with a chronic condition. BMC health services research, 18(1), 448. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3263-y
Jenkins, C. R., Chang, A. B., Poulos, L. M., & Marks, G. B. (2009). Asthma in Indigenous Australians: so much yet to do for Indigenous lung health. The Medical Journal of Australia, 190(10), 530-531. Retrieved from: https://www.mja.com.au/system/files/issues/190_10_180509/jen11367_fm.pdf
Jongen, C., McCalman, J., Bainbridge, R., & Clifford, A. (2018). Health Organisation and System Cultural Competence Interventions. In Cultural Competence in Health (pp. 99-113). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5293-4_7
Stumbles, P. A., Andrus, P., Allen, C., & von Garnier, C. (2018). Principles for nursing practice: Persistent asthma. Elsevier Australia.retrieved from: https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/38596/
Swan, N. (2008). Indigenous women and smoking during pregnancy. On Health Report. Sydney: Radio National ABC. Retrieved from: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/indigenous-women-and-smoking-during-pregnancy/3252798
Valery, P. C., Whop, L. J., Morseu?Diop, N., Garvey, G., Masters, I. B., & Chang, A. B. (2016). Carers’ perspectives on an effective I ndigenous health model for childhood asthma in the T orres S trait. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 24(3), 170-175. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12257
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