Grantee Research Project Results

A Community-Based Intervention to Reduce Environmental Triggers for Asthma Among Children (Asthma Intervention)

EPA Grant Number: R826710C003
Subproject: this is subproject number 003 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R826710
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Center for Research on Early Childhood Exposure and Development in Puerto Rico
Center Director: Alshawabkeh, Akram
Title: A Community-Based Intervention to Reduce Environmental Triggers for Asthma Among Children (Asthma Intervention)
Investigators: Israel, Barbara A. , Parker, Edith
Current Investigators: Israel, Barbara A. , Keeler, Gerald J. , Remick, Daniel , Parker, Edith , Philbert, Martin , Brown, Randall , Robins, Thomas , Lin, Xihong
Institution: University of Michigan
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: January 1, 1998 through January 1, 2002
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research (1998) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Human Health

Objective:

The first specific aim of this household and neighborhood level community-based intervention research project is to reduce exposure of children to environmental contaminants within their homes and neighborhoods that trigger asthma, thereby improving asthma-related health status and reducing asthma-related medical care utilization. Asthmatic children will be identified through elementary school screenings and their parents will be asked to enroll in a household intervention in which outreach workers will visit each household 12 times in two years (9 times in the intensive first year, and 3 times in the second year.) Outreach workers will work with the family to reduce indoor household exposure factors identified as excerbating asthma, such as cockroach mites, cat dander, environmental tobacco smoke, and mold. Each household will also be supplied with educational materials and other resources to reduce indoor asthma triggers such as vacuum cleaners, bedding covers, cleaning kits, and mats. In the neighborhood component of the intervention, community organizers will work with neighborhood groups on asthma awareness and reduction of environmental threats to children's respiratory health. The second specific aim is to conduct a randomized, staggered design community-based intervention to test the following hypotheses: 1) The household level intervention will improve asthma-related health status (and other mental and physical health outcomes), and increase behaviors to reduce home environmental hazards; 2) A neighborhood level intervention when combined with a household level intervention will provide an enhanced effect on the outcomes at the household level; 3) A less intensive household intervention following an initial intensive intervention will maintain similar level effects; 4) A long-term neighborhood intervention, when combined with a household-level intervention, will result in greater intervention effects than a household level intervention with a short-term neighborhood component. The third specific aim is to conduct a process and context evaluation in addition to the outcome evaluation of both components of the intervention.

Publications and Presentations:

Publications have been submitted on this subproject: View all 3 publications for this subproject | View all 45 publications for this center

Journal Articles:

Journal Articles have been submitted on this subproject: View all 1 journal articles for this subproject | View all 22 journal articles for this center

Supplemental Keywords:

children, health, asthma, exposure, home, mites, dander, smoke., Health, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Air, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Health Risk Assessment, Risk Assessments, Biology, genetic susceptability, Environmental Chemistry, Allergens/Asthma, Children's Health, indoor air, childhood respiratory disease, disease, epidemeology, health effects, Human Health Risk Assessment, indoor air quality, environmental hazard exposures, sensitive populations, airway inflammation, asthma, indoor environment, allergen, asthma triggers, dust , second hand smoke, biological response, dust mites, mold, respiratory, human exposure, household, children, cockroaches, exposure, dust mite, cigarette smoke, environmental health hazard, allergic response, environmentally caused disease, toxics, assessment of exposure, community-based intervention, environmental tobacco smoke, environmental triggers, human health risk, inhalation, school based study, tobacco smoke, airway disease, exposure assessment

Progress and Final Reports:

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

R826710 Center for Research on Early Childhood Exposure and Development in Puerto Rico

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R826710C001 Indoor and Outdoor Air Contaminant Exposures and Asthma Aggravation Among Children (Asthma Exposure)
R826710C002 Chemokines in the Pathogenesis of Asthma (Asthma Chemokines)
R826710C003 A Community-Based Intervention to Reduce Environmental Triggers for Asthma Among Children (Asthma Intervention)

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.