Green Housing Study: Measures of Housing Factors and Pediatric Respiratory Health

说明(申请人提供)：按照传统观点，我们认为绿色建筑的设计特征能有效地减少室内过敏原和有毒物质。与标准建造的低收入住房相比，绿色建筑的低收入住房实际上在多大程度上减少了这些危险的暴露，这一点需要科学可信的证据。绿色住房利用各种策略来减少环境污染。据推测，这些策略将导致1)与对照住房相比，绿色住房中的环境污染物水平更低；2)与对照住房相比，绿色住房居民暴露的相关生物标志物水平更低。与对照相比，绿色住房中刺激物和过敏原的减少可能会改善绿色住房居民的哮喘发病率。具体地说，我们假设居住在绿色住房中的哮喘儿童(7-12岁)的哮喘发病率较低，并对环境烟草烟雾(ETS)暴露进行了调整。这一假设将通过两个具体目标来检验：(1)在绿色住房和对照住房中对化学和生物污染物、杀虫剂、挥发性有机化合物(VOC)、真菌、室内过敏原(种类和浓度)进行暴露评估，以及(2)研究居住在绿色住房和对照住房与哮喘发病率(例如，症状、急诊科就诊、药物使用、失去上学/工作日)之间的关系。将在基线(紧接翻新后)以及翻新后6个月和12个月对32套绿色翻新公寓进行环境和临床评估。将在32套未翻修的公寓中进行平行评估。辛辛那提的这项研究是与疾病控制和预防中心(CDC)和美国住房和城市发展部(HUD)密切合作进行的全国绿色住房研究的一部分。辛辛那提是这项多中心研究中第一批接受评估的大都市之一；马萨诸塞州的波士顿正在同时接受哈佛公共卫生学院的评估。全国性的多场地设计将提供背景信息，以了解哪些绿色建筑修复实践不仅在地区，而且在全国范围内与健康有关。然后，这一说明可以为政策提供信息，说明哪些绿色组成部分应在不考虑地点的情况下实施，哪些组成部分应在某些情况下(例如，地区或住房类型)进行修改。 与公共健康相关：预计这项研究将深入了解具体的绿色建筑做法(例如，使用低化学释放量的涂料和地毯)如何影响家庭中的物质水平(如挥发性有机化合物和杀虫剂)，以及这些变化如何影响哮喘儿童的健康。研究结果将让政策制定者了解特定绿色成分的好处。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): It is assumed, as conventional wisdom, that the green building design features are effective in reducing allergens and toxic substances within the home. Scientifically credible evidence is needed as to the extent to which green-built, low-income housing actually reduces exposures to these hazards when compared to standard-built, low-income housing. Green housing utilizes various strategies to reduce environmental contaminants. It is hypothesized that these strategies will lead to 1) lower levels of environmental contaminants in green housing compared to those of control housing, and 2) lower levels of related biomarkers of exposure in the residents of green vs. control housing. The reduction of irritants and allergens in green vs. control housing may result in improved asthma morbidity among residents of green housing. Specifically, we hypothesize that children with asthma (ages 7-12 years) who reside in green housing will have lower asthma morbidity, adjusting for environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure. This hypothesis will be tested through two specific aims: (1) To conduct an exposure assessment of chemical and biological contaminants, pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fungi, indoor allergens (in terms of variety and concentration) in green and comparison housing, and (2) To examine the association between residing in green vs. comparison housing and asthma morbidity (e.g., symptoms, emergency department visits, use of medications, lost school/work days) of children with doctor-diagnosed asthma (ages 7-12 years). Environmental and clinical assessments will be conducted in 32 green renovated apartments at baseline (immediately after renovation) and at 6 and 12 months after renovation. Parallel assessments will be conducted in 32 non-renovated apartments. The study in Cincinnati is part of a nationwide Green Housing study conducted in close partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Cincinnati is one of the first metropolitan areas being assessed in this multicenter study; Boston, Massachusetts is being simultaneously assessed by the Harvard School of Public Health. The nationwide multi-site design will provide contextual information to understand which green building rehabilitation practices are associated with health not only regionally, but nationally. This elucidation then could inform policy about which green components should be implemented without regard to locality, and which components should be modified under certain circumstances (e.g., region or housing type). PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The study is expected to provide insight into how specific green building practices (e.g., use of low chemical-emitting paints and carpets) influence levels of substances in the home (such as volatile organic compounds and pesticides) and how asthmatic children's health is affected by these changes. The results will inform policy makers about the benefits of specific green components.