Tennessee State University’s Cardiorespiratory Students Are Keeping Lungs Young

January 17, 2024

Keeping Lungs Young (KLY) is a lung health education and screening service learning project utilizing Tennessee State University (TSU)’s Cardiorespiratory students.  The goal of this project is to improve knowledge and attitudes about lung health among Nashville youth.  According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, in 2017, 11.5 percent of high school students used e-cigarettes, 7.3 percent used smokeless tobacco and 9.6 percent smoked cigars on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the rates were 13.2 percent, 5.5 percent and 8.0 percent, respectively (CDC, 2017). This project aims to addresses smoking among Tennessee youth through a primary prevention educational program. The project goal is accomplished through implementation of the following objectives: Objective 1) Improve knowledge and impact attitudes about lung health through education activities and community service; Objective 2) Improve smoking behaviors  and asthma management among K-12 students.

TSU Cardiorespiratory students provide hands-on learning for K-8 students who are enrolled in Martha O’Bryan Center’s after school programs. The Martha O’Bryan Center (MOBC) is an anti-poverty non-profit organization with longstanding history and deep community roots in Nashville, TN. The MOBC K-8 After School Program offers comprehensive academic, social-emotional, and enrichment programming that meets or exceeds the opportunities accessible to middle- and upper-class families, thereby creating a culture of attainment and success in low-income communities. In collaboration with the MOBC K-8 Afterschool Program, more than 200 students have participated in the KLY program since 2015.

Participating students have the opportunity to engage in fun learning activities and games, at various teaching stations as listed below:

• Asthma Management Tools station: Children are taught how to use nebulizers, inhalers, review medications and oxygen therapy.

• Hands only CPR Mannequin station: Children receive a CPR demonstration. Students practice performing CPR on mannequin.

• Dangers of Smoking Tobacco station: This station uses a Pig Lung Model to demonstrate and educate on the dangers of smoking tobacco. Children are able to touch the lung and take turns pumping the lung. Children answer questions and win prizes for providing the correct answer.

• Chest Vest Therapy station- Children learn how to listen to the lungs with a stethoscope. They also learn how lungs of Cystic Fibrosis and Pneumonia patients are cleared with vest therapy.

• Neonatal & Pediatric Baby Mannequin station: Children are able to bag an infant and pediatric mannequin as well as a tracheostomy baby.

Each of the stations are staffed with 4-5 college students . After the children complete their visit to each station, we finish with a review of each station through a question and answer session. We also include a photo booth where students can may take their pictures. In the end, all students receive a school gift bag to take home with them. Gift bag may include pencils, crayons, eraser, and health related coloring books.

Since 2015, Keep Lungs Young has been asked every year to return.  TSU’s college students also look forward to returning to the schools to teach the kids.  Many of the children express that they want to become a respiratory therapist or a lung doctor after the program. We are asking for funding to expand the program so more children and families may benefit from the program. Click here to learn more.