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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Marion R. Pennington, MPH, DVM¹, Michelyn W. Bhandari, DrPH, MPH¹, Derek Holcomb, PhD, Vickie Sanchez, PhD, and Michael Ballard, EdD⁴. (1) Department of Health Promotion and Administration, Eastern Kentucky University, 420 Begley, 521 Lancaster Avenue, Richmond, KY 40475, 859-622-1145, michelyn.bhandari@eku.edu, (2) Health Promotion and Administration, Eastern Kentucky University, 420 Begley Building, 521 Lancaster Avenue, Richmond, KY 40475

Introduction: Kentucky has the third highest rate of asthma in the United States, affecting 9.5 percent of adults in the state. One-third of asthma cases in Kentucky are among children. Asthma costs Kentucky taxpayers nearly $400 million a year in Medicaid funds. Because children spend the majority of their time indoors, the origins of many health risks can be traced to the indoor environment. The purpose of this study was to determine what environmental factors influence asthma onset in adults, children and pets living in the same household. Methods: One hundred questionnaires were sent to the clients of three independent veterinary hospitals and one District Public Health Department in Kentucky. The questionnaire consisted of 25 questions covering environmental exposures such as types of heating systems, floor coverings, and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Results: The percentage of individuals reporting symptoms of asthma was much lower for households with hardwood flooring (19.2%) compared to the households with carpeting (45.5%). Households who had wood or coal heating, carpeting and allowed smoking in the household were shown to be at a higher risk. Pets living in the household were not shown to have any influence on human asthma. The rates were the same for individuals who had pets living in the household compared to the ones who did not have pets living in the household. Conclusions: Indoor environmental factors have an influence on reported symptoms of asthma.

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