Air Purification for Asthma

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)

Overseen byMeredith C. McCormack, MD, MHS

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Waitlist Available

Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?Background: Asthma and obesity are public health crises that have concurrently risen over the past decades, affecting millions of children in the United States and disproportionately affecting low-income minority children in urban areas. The same children at highest risk for asthma and obesity also have greater exposure to indoor and outdoor pollution. Emerging evidence suggests that obesity may confer increased susceptibility to health effects of air pollution. Methods: Aiming to provide causal-level evidence of these observational findings, we propose a home intervention study to 1) test whether targeted reductions of indoor Particulate Matter (PM) concentrations improve the respiratory health of overweight inner-city children with asthma more than that of lean inner-city children with asthma and 2) investigate mediators of susceptibility to indoor PM among overweight versus lean children with asthma. We will accomplish these aims using a 1:1 randomized controlled trial of 200 children with persistent asthma (half normal weight, half overweight) living in Baltimore City. Participants will be randomized to receive either two active air purifiers containing high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters or two sham air purifiers with their filters removed. Implications: If the aforementioned observational findings are confirmed, implications will be directly relevant to the over 170 million children around the world now estimated to be overweight or obese.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for children aged 8-17 living in Baltimore with persistent asthma, who are either of normal weight or overweight. They must spend most nights at home and have had an asthma exacerbation within the last year. Kids can't join if they're underweight, pregnant, smoke, have serious lung/heart conditions, or live in homes in disrepair.

Inclusion Criteria

My condition has worsened in the last year.

I have long-term asthma.

No plans to move during the study

+3 more

Exclusion Criteria

You are considered to be very thin based on your body mass index (BMI).

I have a serious heart or lung condition.

Home not appropriate candidate due to disrepair

+1 more

Participant Groups

The AIRWEIGHS study tests whether using air purifiers with HEPA filters at home can better improve respiratory health for overweight kids with asthma compared to those of normal weight. It's a randomized trial where half get real air purifiers and half get placebo ones without filters.

2Treatment groups

Active Control

Placebo Group

Group I: Active Air PurifierActive Control1 Intervention

Two portable air purifiers containing HEPA filters will be placed in the bedroom and room where the participant reports spending the most time. We have chosen to deploy two air purifiers because we have observed a 50% reduction in indoor PM concentrations with two air purifiers. Participants will be instructed to run the air purifiers continually. Participants will receive educational materials about environmental factors that are important for asthma health and environmental modification strategies. Participants will also receive educational materials about health benefits of maintaining a normal weight.

Group II: Placebo Air PurifierPlacebo Group1 Intervention

Homes in the control group will receive placebo air purifiers that have the internal air filters removed, but which will run normally. Participants will receive educational materials about environmental factors that are important for asthma health and environmental modification strategies, and educational materials about health benefits of maintaining a normal weight. At the end of the study, participants in the control group will receive active air purifiers. A control group is needed to ensure that reduced pollutant levels and health effects are not due to temporal trends and 'placebo effects' of being enrolled in an intervention trial. Participants will also be informed that being in the study does not prevent them from purchasing and using air cleaners during the study period.