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Allergen levels in inner city homes: baseline concentrations and evaluation of intervention effectiveness

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 18, pages 430–440 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Allergens in house dust are risk factors for asthma causation and exacerbation, and asthma interventions often focus on exposure reduction using methods that may not be sustainable over time in low-income communities. A randomized controlled trial with up to six home visits was used to evaluate the effectiveness of two interventions focused on reducing dust loading and allergen concentrations in 47 low-income inner-city households in Minneapolis, MN. The interventions, which included education and relatively inexpensive cleaning procedures, were developed using a community-based participatory consultation process with focus groups held in English, Somali, and Spanish to incorporate community feedback from participants into protocols and study design decisions. Change in levels of cat, cockroach, dust mite, and culturable fungi as well as overall dust loading were evaluated by measuring the difference in concentrations before and after the cleaning intervention, and mixed models were used to assess the effect of education and cleaning on baseline allergen levels during the final three home visits. The cleaning intervention significantly lowered dust loading in all households and culturable fungi levels in single family homes, reduced cat allergen concentrations in homes with cats, but had no significant effect on cockroach allergen levels. The cleaning intervention also modestly decreased the frequency of observed allergen concentrations above suggested health benchmarks for cat, cockroach, and fungi. The cleaning and education interventions had similar effects on baseline allergen levels measured during subsequent home visits; both interventions significantly reduced baseline levels of cat and fungal allergens observed in pre-cleaning samples, but had no significant effect on cockroach allergen levels. Overall, the cleaning intervention modestly reduced potential exposure to risk factors associated with asthma mortality and morbidity in a way that can be implemented by most homeowners or renters, independent of education, income, or the ability to speak English.

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Abbreviations

Bla g1:

Blatella germanica protein 1

CFU:

colony-forming unit

CV:

coefficient of variation (%)

Der f1:

Dermatophagoides farinae protein 1

Der p1:

Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus protein 1

ELISA:

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Fel d1:

Felis domesticus protein 1

GM:

geometric mean

HARS:

Home Allergen Reduction Study

NCICAS:

National Cooperative Inner City Asthma Study

SHIELD:

Schools Health Initiative: Environment Learning and Disease Study

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by Healthy Homes Technical Study Grant MNLHH0122-03 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). We are especially grateful to our participant families and the HARS field study staff. Mention of commercial services or brands does not imply endorsement by the University of Minnesota or HUD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnessota, USA

    John L Adgate, Gurumurthy Ramachandran, Sook Ja Cho, Andrew D Ryan & Jason Grengs

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  1. John L Adgate
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  2. Gurumurthy Ramachandran
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  3. Sook Ja Cho
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  4. Andrew D Ryan
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Correspondence to John L Adgate.

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Adgate, J., Ramachandran, G., Cho, S. et al. Allergen levels in inner city homes: baseline concentrations and evaluation of intervention effectiveness. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 18, 430–440 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jes.7500638

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