The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70621

Deborah Deitcher¹, Susan Klitzman², Jack Caravanos², Laura Rothenberg², Candice Belanoff³, Rachel A. Kramer⁴, and Rosario Vera⁵. (1) Community HealthWorks, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 40 Worth Street, Room 1607, New York, NY 10013, 212.341.9816, ddeitche@health.nyc.gov, (2) Hunter College, 425 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010, (3) Program in Urban Public Health, Hunter College, 425 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010, (4) Community HealthWorks, New York City Department of Health, 40 Worth Street, Room 1602, New York, NY 10013, (5) c/o Bedford Stuyvesant Healthy Homes Initiative, Medical and Health Research Association of New York City, Inc., 1958 Fulton Street, 5th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11233

The Bedford Stuyvesant Healthy Homes Initiative is a community-based demonstration project in which a low-cost approach was used to assess and remediate childhood health and safety hazards in 70 dwelling units. The hazards addressed were peeling, lead-based paint; vermin (i.e., cockroaches and rodents); mold; and safety hazards (i.e., absence of smoke alarm, fire safety plan and/or window guards). Bedford Stuyvesant is a low-income, predominantly African-American community in Brooklyn, NY with disproportionately high rates of childhood lead poisoning, asthma hospitalizations and fire injury hospitalizations. The intervention strategy involved assessing the presence of hazards in the home, developing a remediation plan, and training owners and tenants in making repairs and maintaining a healthy home environment. Remediation/maintenance supplies were distributed to owners and tenants, and repairs were made, often with the assistance of a contracted handyperson. The initial home assessment revealed a variety of environmental hazards. Of the 70 units targeted, 49 (70%) had peeling lead-based paint; 46 (66%) had lead dust levels on the floor in excess of EPA standards; 31 units (44%) had cockroach allergen levels of >1U/g; occupants of 60 units (86%) reported the presence of rodents; 60 (86%) were without fire safety plans; and 46 units (66%) were missing at least one window guard. Repair work was successfully undertaken in all units, at an approximate cost of $1,200 per unit. This poster session will summarize project findings, including the effectiveness of this low-cost intervention in reducing hazard levels and whether such reductions can be sustained over time.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the poster session, the participant will be able to:
• Describe an intervention targeting multiple home environmental hazards
• Identify challenges related to implementing such an intervention
• Apply knowledge gained to developing an intervention targeting home-based health and safety hazards

Keywords: Housing, Environmental Health Hazards

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.