Interventions to reduce health and safety hazards in homes of low-income children: Results of the Phoenix healthy homes study

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

4021.0: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 - 8:45 AM

Abstract #151708

Sherry L. Dixon, PhD¹, Cecile Fowler, MS², Judy Harris, MS, RN, CPNP³, Sally Moffat, RN, MSN⁴, Yolanda Martinez², Heather Walton, CCLS⁴, and Bernice Ruiz⁴. (1) National Center for Healthy Housing, 10320 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 500, Columbia, MD 21044, 443-539-4156, sdixon@nchh.org, (2) Neighborhood Services, City of Phoenix, 200 W. Washington, 4th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003, (3) Breathmobile, Phoenix Children's Hospital, 1919 E. Thomas Road, Building B, Phoenix, AZ 85016, (4) Community Outreach, Phoenix Children's Hospital, 1919 E Thomas Rd #2391C, Phoenix, AZ 85016

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of educational, health and safety device disbursement, and housing (structural repair and maintenance) interventions in reducing residential health and safety hazards in Phoenix AZ.

Households with at least one child under the age of 18 years and a household income at or below 80% of the area median income were eligible. Sixty-seven homes housing 184 children, including 63 children with asthma were enrolled from 2003 to 2005.

At baseline, a home assessor conducted a visual assessment of the home environment and administered a verbal questionnaire. Educational, health and safety device disbursement, and housing interventions were conducted. A post-intervention visual assessment was conducted at approximately 3-4 months after the intervention. The Phoenix Children's Hospital (PCH) Breathmobile, a mobile asthma clinic that visits central and south Phoenix schools, provided asthma assessment, education, and treatment to enrolled children with asthma.

Safety hazards were observed in more than 90% of homes at baseline. Most hazards were significantly reduced as a result of the interventions. Ninety-seven percent of the caregivers reported that their homes were safer following the interventions.

Dust in carpets, bedding, and in the heating and cooling system, poor general housekeeping, musty smell, and observed cockroach infestation were hazards in 52% to 69% of the homes at baseline and were significantly improved by post-intervention. At post-intervention, 96% of parents reported that the health of their children with asthma improved following the interventions used here.

Learning Objectives:

Prioritize health and safety hazards in Phoenix homes
Describe the advantages of multifaceted educational, health and safety device disbursement, and housing (structural repair and maintenance) interventions. 3.Identify the health and safety hazards in Phoenix homes most improved by the interventions

Keywords: Safety, Asthma

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Built Environment II: Housing and Health: Patterns of Residential Health and Safety Hazards and Successful Intervention Strategies in Urban and Rural Communities

The 135th APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 3-7, 2007) of APHA