Marie Lynn Miranda, PhD¹, Kelly L. Atkinson¹, M. Alicia Overstreet¹, and Wayne R. Thomann, Dr PH². (1) Nicholas School of Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, PO Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, 919-613-8023, mmiranda@duke.edu, (2) Office of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Duke Univeristy Medical Center, PO Box 3914 Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710

Research suggests that asthma and allergies have disparate impacts on specific subsets of the population, including minorities, poor families, and those living in urban environments. The Children’s Environmental Health Initiative (CEHI) is currently developing a spatially-based model to characterize risk of exposure to allergens and asthma triggers. As part of the model development, CEHI has collected environmental samples in over 500 homes, including a composite indoor bulk dust sample, as well as bioaerosol samples taken in the crawlspace and inside the livable part of the home environment. Analysis indicates that mean concentrations of bulk dust allergens are all well above levels considered to cause sensitization and symptom exacerbation. The median concentrations, however, are much lower indicating high variability across sample homes. Bioaerosol sampling reveals a significant number of study homes with high levels of mold, more so in the homes sampled in North Carolina’s coastal plain. Multivariate and GIS-based spatial analysis is used to compare allergen levels with characteristics of the surrounding physical environment, housing stock variables, and demographics. Substantial differences in bulk dust and mold allergens exist across the explanatory variables used in the analysis, as well as across the sample counties and seasons. Modeling indicates clear exposure disparities across race, income, and geography. We will demonstrate that spatial models can provide a better understanding of allergens and asthma triggers in the home environment and can be used to direct outreach and education programs, target housing abatement resources, and improve health care management.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze how GIS technology can improve understanding of exposure to allergens and asthma triggers in the home environment.
• Discuss the variations in exposure to allergens and asthma triggers across demographic and geographic variables.

Keywords: Asthma, Geographic Information Systems

Related Web page: www.env.duke.edu/cehi

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.