Bracknell, Berkshire, UK, 26 February 2019: BSRIA (owned by The Building Services Research and Information Association), an organisation providing specialist services in construction and building services, has responded to a report published last week, which states that young people in the United Kingdom are more likely to die from asthma than those in “other wealthy countries”, the body said in a Press communiqué.

Blanca Beato-Arribas, Microclimate Team Leader, BSRIA

The study reveals that death rates for asthma in 10 to 24 year olds was highest in the United Kingdom among all 14 European nations, included in an analysis of 19 high-income countries, the communiqué said.

The study, from the Nuffield Trust think tank and the Association for Young People’s Health, analysed 17 measures of health and well-being in 19 countries: United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and United States, the communiqué further said. The United Kingdom is amongst the four worst countries, where young people are likely to suffer from years lost to ill-health, only ahead of Australia, United States and New Zealand, the communiqué added.

Blanca Beato-Arribas, Microclimate Team Leader, BSRIA, said: “BSRIA is deeply concerned about the findings of this report. It is certainly distressing that young people are more likely to die from asthma in the United Kingdom than in other European countries. If we don’t take action now, the next generation will move into adulthood sicker than the one before it. BSRIA has conducted extensive research into the indoor environmental quality testing of schools, which can have a detrimental impact on children’s health and wellbeing, as well as on their learning performance. Ensuring a school has the best environment, by improving air quality, has a direct impact on children’s attention levels and exam performance. Children are particularly vulnerable to air quality; they have a higher metabolic rate and respiration rate than adults and are more susceptible to asthma, NO_x and particle effects.”