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

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.