Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109327

Molly Martin, MD, Department of Preventive Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, 1700 W Van Buren St, Suite 470, Chicago, IL 60612, 312-942-2540, molly_a_martin@rush.edu, Olivia Hernandez, Centro Comunitario Juan Diego, 8812 S. Commercial Ave., Chicago, IL 60617, Edward Naureckas, MD, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Av., MC-6026, Chicago, IL 60637, and John D. Lantos, MD, Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave, MC2007, Chicago, IL 60637.

Background/Objective: Asthma prevalence and mortality rates are increasing, especially in urban Latino communities. The objective of this study was to assess if a community health worker (CHW) intervention could produce changes in home asthma triggers in an inner-city low-income Latino community.

Methods: We partnered with 11 Latino CHWs who recruited participants, performed home visits for asthma education, and completed home follow-up visits at 3, 6, and 12 months. Home asthma triggers were measured by self-report using a scale from 0-7 where 0 meant no triggers and 7 meant all triggers were present. Triggers included smoking, cockroaches, pets, aerosols or strong detergents, vacuuming, and presence of an air filter.

Results: Fifty-six children and 47 adults with asthma received an initial home visit from 4/7/03 to 2/18/04. Participants were primarily Mexican. Forty-eight percent of adults with asthma and 50% of caregivers of children with asthma were formally educated less than 7 years. Mean acculturation was very low--most spoke exclusively Spanish at home and work. General asthma knowledge improved overall after the home visit and most participants reported good access to primary health care. At the initial visit, caregivers of children with asthma reported an average of 2.8 asthma triggers (n=56). Home trigger score was reduced to 2.31 at 3 months (p=0.002), 2.17 at 6 months (p=0.02), and 1.58 at 12 months (p=0.03). The home trigger scores for adults with asthma showed a similar pattern but were not statistically significant.

Conclusions: Asthma education provided in the home by CHWs is associated with a reduction in home asthma triggers in this inner-city low-income Latino community. Culturally competent interventions performed by CHWs may help Latino families make difficult behavior changes and may ultimately lessen the morbidity of asthma in these high risk communities.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the increasing, disproportionate burden of asthma in urban Latino communities
• Discuss the ability of a community health worker intervention to reduce home asthma triggers in an inner-city low-income Latino community
• Describe an effective partnership between a Latino community service organization and an academic research institution

Keywords: Asthma, Community Health Promoters

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation