Chasing Breath Through The Maze Of Academia: Lived Experiences Of Health Sciences Students With Asthma

Abstract

In the demanding world of Health Sciences education, students with asthma navigate unique challenges as they balance their academic responsibilities with the realities of a chronic respiratory condition. This study aims to describe how asthma affects the daily lives of Health Sciences students within the context of a rigorous and highly structured academic environment. The researchers employed a purposive sampling method to select twelve students with physician-diagnosed asthma from the Campus for Health Sciences at LORMA Colleges. Data were gathered through in-depth, face-to-face interviews using semi-structured interview guide questions. To thoroughly analyze the students’ lived experiences, Thematic Analysis was utilized for organizing, analyzing, and interpreting the data. Findings revealed that students with asthma encounter significant physical, emotional, and academic impacts stemming from their condition. These included difficulties in managing symptoms during high-stress academic tasks, challenges in keeping up with demanding course requirements, heightened anxiety during asthma flare-ups, reliance on self-management strategies, and disruptions to their academic performance, social participation, and overall well-being. The study highlights the need for strengthened institutional support, asthma-friendly policies, and improved awareness across learning environments to better accommodate students with chronic respiratory conditions.