title: An investigation of the housing environment for persons with asthma and persons without asthma.
abstract: Asthma is a chronic disease affected by environmental factors that may increase symptoms that impact on a persons' well-being. An important issue in occupational therapy is to improve the relationship between a person's functional capacity and the physical environment. The aim of the study was to compare the housing environment of persons with asthma (cases, n = 49) and persons without asthma (controls, n = 48), with regard to building construction and condition, physical, chemical and biological factors, and cleaning routines. A secondary aim was to compare different types of accommodation within cases and controls. A specialist team, including a construction engineer, a biological scientist, and an occupational therapist, conducted the study. Data were collected using protocols, as well as a number of established technical methods from the field of occupational and environmental medicine. The primary results showed no major differences in the housing environment between the two groups. However, in individual homes environmental factors at levels that could increase symptoms were identified. When single-family houses were compared with multi-family houses, significant differences were found indicating that preventive interventions may be needed in some single-family houses. Further studies are needed to clarify the person-environment relationship for persons with asthma, focusing on their ability to perform daily activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Orebro University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden. margot.frisk@orebroll.se
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frisk
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arvidsson
authors.forename: Jaak
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kiviloog
authors.forename: Ann-Britt
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Ivarsson
authors.forename: Kitty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamwendo
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stridh
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D004777:Environment; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014691:Ventilation