Junenette L. Peters, ScD Candidate¹, Harriet Burge, PhD¹, Jose Vallarino¹, Brent Coull, PhD², and John Spengler, ScD³. (1) Environmental Health, Harvard University, P. O. Box 15677, Landmark Center, Room 406 WEST, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215, 617-610-1175, jpeters@hsph.harvard.edu, (2) Biostatistics, Harvard University, Bld 2, 4th Floor, Rm 413, 655 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, (3) Environmental Health, Harvard University School of Public Health, P. O. Box 15677, Landmark Center, Room 406 WEST, Boston, MA 02115

Low-income, urban dwellings are often plagued with cockroach infestation. A primary concern with such infestation is that cockroaches produce allergens, which have been implicated in asthma sensitization and exacerbation in sensitized individuals, contributing to the higher incidence of asthma-related morbidity among inner-city children. This has served as justification for implementing interventions to reduce the allergenic levels particularly in homes of allergic asthmatics. This study is part of the Boston Healthy Public Housing Initiative. The objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions at reducing cockroach allergen levels. Interventions, including intensive cleaning, integrated pest management, resident education, mattress replacement and provision of air cleaners, were conducted in apartments of 58 asthmatic children (ages 4-17) in three public housing developments. Allergen levels in bedroom and kitchen dust were analyzed by ELISA for cockroach allergens, Bla g I and II. Repeated measurements were collected: once at baseline and two or three times after interventions. Kitchen levels were initially reduced by 77%-86% and bedroom levels by 24%-46%. Median concentrations (maximum levels) in units per gram of dust for Bla g I and II, respectively, were initially 47.13 (649.15) and 102.25 (2199.63) and reduced to 10.49 (130.39) and 14.0 (1000.25) in kitchen dust and initially 0.29 (99.57) and 1.78 (60.35) and reduced to 0.22 (1.14) and 0.96 (13.95) in bedroom dust. Analytical approach include longitudinal analysis using marginal, mixed-effect and transition models to investigate the effects in population average concentrations, make inferences about individual households, and determine how initial concentrations affect post-intervention allergen levels.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the patterns of population average and individual in inner-city household cockroach allergen levels over time.
• List factors that influence the effectiveness of cockroach-related interventions.
• Discuss possible courses of action for sustaining the effects of interventions in this population.

Keywords: Environmental Exposures, Low-Income

Related Web page: www.hsph.harvard.edu/hphi/

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.