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Asthma, COPD, and home environments: Interventions with older adults.
- Source :
-
Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology [Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol] 2019 May; Vol. 122 (5), pp. 486-491. Date of Electronic Publication: 2019 Mar 01. - Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Background: We describe a multifaceted home environmental intervention project involving low-income older adults with asthma who have a greater risk of asthma-related respiratory impacts because they spend up to 90% of their time in the home where many allergens and respiratory irritants are found. Although sufficient evidence suggests that home interventions are effective in improving health of children with asthma, the Task Force on Community Preventive Services has stated that evidence is insufficient for the effectiveness of home interventions on adults with asthma.<br />Objective: To evaluate the hypothesis that multifaceted home environmental interventions improve the respiratory health and reduce asthma triggers for older adults with asthma.<br />Methods: We conducted community health worker-led interventions in the homes of 86 low-income older adults (age 62 or older) diagnosed with asthma, residing in public and private subsidized housing in Lowell, Massachusetts, from 2014 to 2017. Health and environmental assessment at baseline and follow-up 1 year later included collecting data on respiratory health, quality of life, medication use, doctor/emergency room/hospital visits, using the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire and Asthma Control Test and evaluation of asthma trigger activities and exposures through questionnaires and home surveys. Interventions included education on asthma and environmental triggers and environmental remediation.<br />Results: Statistically significant reductions in self-reported environmental asthma triggers and health improvements were found in the following areas: doctor visits, use of antibiotics for chest problems, respiratory symptoms and quality of life indicators, and asthma control (ACT score).<br />Conclusion: Our results provide evidence that multifaceted home interventions are effective in improving the environmental quality and respiratory health of an older adult population with asthma.<br /> (Copyright © 2019 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Assisted Living Facilities
Asthma physiopathology
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Office Visits statistics & numerical data
Poverty
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive physiopathology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Asthma psychology
Environmental Restoration and Remediation methods
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive psychology
Quality of Life psychology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1534-4436
- Volume :
- 122
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 30831256
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2019.02.026