DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) — A group of scientists will try to figure out why Dallas area school kids have higher rates of asthma than kids in the rest of the state and nation.
The Dallas Morning News reports more kids are hospitalized for asthma-related symptoms in Dallas County than in other counties in the region, though Tarrant County also exceeds the state and national average number of cases. 54% of the Dallas ISD schools have higher rates of asthma than the rest of the district.
The Nature Conservancy, an environmental group, is targeting the Dallas ISD where 9.5% of all students have asthma. The situation is worst in poor neighborhoods. The Morning News reports 18 schools south of I-30 have asthma rates exceeding 17%.
The intensive study, called Breathe Easy Dallas, will track students with asthma in nine schools for two years and then establish a plan for reducing asthma rates.
