Young people who have asthma will test a phone app to help them manage their condition during wildfire season in a Washington State University College of Nursing-led study that’s getting under way.
The study is currently recruiting participants ages 18-26 in the Pacific Northwest, said Julie Postma, principal investigator and associate dean for research at the College of Nursing.
“We want to help young people with asthma prepare for wildfire smoke and learn to manage it so they can stay active and healthy,” she said.
The study is based on a phone app developed by the EPA that tracks air quality, active fires and the direction of smoke plumes. It offers information to reduce smoke exposure and asks users questions about their health and activities for a crowd-sourced look at how people respond to wildfire smoke.
The app doesn’t have a specific component for asthma, however.