The Seattle-King County Healthy Homes Project: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of a Community Health Worker Intervention to Decrease Exposure to Indoor Asthma Triggers
James W. Krieger, MD, MPH,
Tim K. Takaro, MD, MPH, MS,
Lin Song, PhD and
Marcia Weaver, PhD
James W. Krieger is with Public HealthSeattle & King County and the University of Washington School of Medicine and School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle. Tim K. Takaro is with the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle. Lin Song is with Public HealthSeattle and King County. Marcia Weaver is with the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle.
Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to James Krieger, Public HeathSeattle & King County, 999 Third Avenue, Suite 1200, Seattle, WA 98104 (e-mail: james.krieger{at}metrokc.gov).
Objectives. We assessed the effectiveness of a community healthworker intervention focused on reducing exposure to indoor asthmatriggers.
Methods. We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 1-yearfollow-up among 274 low-income households containing a childaged 412 years who had asthma. Community health workersprovided in-home environmental assessments, education, supportfor behavior change, and resources. Participants were assignedto either a high-intensity group receiving 7 visits and a fullset of resources or a low-intensity group receiving a singlevisit and limited resources.
Results. The high-intensity group improved significantly morethan the low-intensity group in its pediatric asthma caregiverquality-of-life score (P=.005) and asthma-related urgent healthservices use (P=.026). Asthma symptom days declined more inthe high-intensity group, although the across-group differencedid not reach statistical significance (P= .138). Participantactions to reduce triggers generally increased in the high-intensitygroup. The projected 4-year net savings per participant amongthe high-intensity group relative to the low-intensity groupwere $189$721.
Conclusions. Community health workers reduced asthma symptomdays and urgent health services use while improving caregiverquality-of-life score. Improvement was greater with a higher-intensityintervention.
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