203002 Does indoor air quality (IAQ) and physical condition of school buildings affect rates of asthma in children attending those schools?

Tuesday, November 10, 2009: 9:10 AM

Penny Liberatos, PhD , School of Health Sciences & Practice, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Marci Lewis, BS, MPH , School of Public Health, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Wendy Sue Shindler, RN, BSN, MPH , School of Public Health, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Ellen J. Parrinelli, RN, BSN, MPH , School of Public Health, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Jennifer S. Klein, RD, CHES, MPH , Department of Behavioral Sciences & Community Health, New York Medical College School of Public Health, Valhalla, NY, NY
Makeda J.N. James, BA, MPH , School of Public Health, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
India Marie Harris, RN, BSN, MPH , School of Public Health, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Natalie Fuentes, MPH , School of Public Health, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Elizabeth Mary Frei, MPH , School of Public Health, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Ann Marie Craig, RN, BSN, MPH , School of Public Health, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Study Purpose and Questions: A recent study found that school districts with higher rates of asthma hospitalizations had a significantly greater proportion of their school building conditions rated unsatisfactory. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between school building conditions and ratings of IAQ with the rate of children with asthma in those schools.

Methods: Data from the 2005 NYS building conditions survey for each of 56 elementary schools in districts with high rates of asthma hospitalization in a NYS county were obtained. The survey was conducted by an engineer/architect and included 19 building systems that are considered to be “asthma-related”. In addition, the number of children with asthma in a given school and ratings of the school's IAQ were obtained from each school's nurse.

Results: Schools rated as having fair/poor IAQ were found to have significantly higher rates of asthma. A majority of the schools had at least one asthma-related system rated as failed/unsatisfactory. A comparison of the school building conditions with the actual rate of children with asthma in the school is currently underway. Few of the study schools used any tools for assessing the condition of their facility and for addressing building problems. Environmental concerns did not appear to have a high priority in the schools in general.

Conclusions: Despite poor building conditions, poor IAQ and high rates of asthma among elementary school children, environmental concerns had a relatively low priority within elementary schools in areas with high rates of asthma hospitalizations.

Learning Objectives:
1) Identify five building systems in elementary schools that may negatively impact children with asthma. 2) Describe the relationship between school building conditions and indoor air quality and rates of asthma in children in those schools. 3) Discuss the social factors that may contribute to the relationship between school environment and asthma in elementary school children.

Keywords: Asthma, Environmental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I conceptualized and directed the project. I will be mainly responsible for preparing the paper or poster presentation.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

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.

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