NCHH:Milwaukee Healthy Homes

Milwaukee Healthy Homes

The Medical College of Wisconsin collected data to study the effect of the program intervention on quality-of-life indicators for asthmatic children and their families.

Goal: The Milwaukee Health Department received demonstration grant funds through HUD's Healthy Homes initiative to conduct a randomized controlled trial of the Milwaukee Healthy Homes Demonstration Project intervention, enrolling families having at least one child with asthma. The Medical College of Wisconsin, one of the Milwaukee Health Department's partners on the project, collected data to study the effect of the program intervention on quality-of-life indicators for asthmatic children and their families will be determined at 12 months follow-up. NCHH collected data to study the effect of intervention on settled dust loadings and on dust concentrations of various allergens (e.g., dust mite, cockroach, mouse, cat and dog) at 3-, 6-, and 12 months follow-up, when compared with baseline concentrations.

Outcomes: Enrollment occurred from October 2003 through April 2005. Homes were randomly assigned to either a control group that received educational materials, bed/pillow dust mite casings, and treatment of lead-based paint hazards or an intervention group that in addition received multiple nurse case management visits, minor home repair for moisture (25% of homes) and for safety (98% of homes), specialized cleaning (100% of homes), and integrated pest management (50% of homes). Dust vacuum samples were collected from floors in three rooms (TV room, kitchen, and child's bedroom) at four visits (baseline and 3-months, 6-months, and 12-months follow-up) in both study groups and at immediate post-intervention (intervention group only).

For the intervention group, there was a significant reduction in sieved dust loading from baseline to immediate post-intervention. Although dust loadings rose from the immediate post-intervention visit to the 12-month visit, they were still below baseline levels at the 12-month follow-up visit. Dust loadings were 72% higher in control group dwellings than in intervention group dwellings.

Mouse allergen mus m 1 was the most frequently detected allergen at baseline, found in 50% of floor dust samples. Cockroach allergen bla g 1 was next most frequently detected, found on the kitchen floors of 46% of intervention group dwellings and 26% of control group dwellings. At baseline, dust mite allergen der f 1 was found in less than 20% of intervention group dwellings and in less than 40% of control group dwellings. The interventions did not result in a significant change in allergen concentrations from baseline in intervention group homes, either at immediate post-intervention or at follow-up visits.

Although the combination of nurse case management and home environmental interventions did not significantly change allergen concentrations, it yielded a significant decrease in settled dust loadings in intervention group dwellings compared with control group dwellings (where no decrease was observed), thus reducing the exposure burden for children residing in treated homes.

For more information, please contact Jill Breysse at jbreysse@centerforheatlhyhousing.org

This page last updated:
May 5, 2006

The National Center for Healthy Housing, 10320 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 500 Columbia, MD 21044
410.992.0712 / Fax: 443.539.4150
Copyright © 2001, NCHHCHH, Inc.

Research and Evaluation
(Active Projects)

Research and Evaluation
(Completed Projects)

Training and Technical Assistance
(Active Projects)

Training and Technical Assistance
(Completed Projects)

Demonstration

Policy