title: A longitudinal analysis of the efficacy of environmental interventions on asthma-related quality of life and symptoms among children in urban public housing.
abstract: In an environmental intervention study in public housing, we examined monthly Juniper Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life (QOL) Questionnaires for 51 children. Longitudinal analysis and spline models were used to identify time periods with significant improvements in QOL to inform judgments about causality. We found significant improvements in QOL, with moderate improvements before environmental interventions, increased rates of improvement immediately after, and reduced rates more than 5 months post-intervention. Effect modification analyses identified high-risk subpopulations and emphasized the importance of environmental, social, and economic conditions. Our results demonstrate the value of longitudinal techniques in evaluating the benefits of environmental interventions for asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachussetts, USA. jcloughe@hsph.harvard.edu
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Clougherty
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Hynes
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Spengler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001513:Beds; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003058:Cockroaches / Q000276:immunology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010571:Pest Control; D011638:Public Housing; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014504:Urban Health