Research: in the field : The nonchalant asthmatic

University students who suffer from asthma are often
alarmingly ignorant or complacent about their condition, according to a survey
of 71 students from Flinders University, the University of Adelaide and the
University of South Australia. About two thirds of the students, aged between 17
and 25 years, said they had no management plan for their condition. Just over 50
per cent did not take medication with them even when they knew they were likely
to be exposed to known triggers for asthma attacks. More than 18 per cent still
smoked even though they knew that smoking could trigger an attack. The survey
was conducted by the School of Nursing at Flinders University.