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Healthy Homes in Rural Alaska AJ Salkoski Project Manager Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Slide 2 Map Introduction Background Principles of a Healthy Home Working Toward Healthier Homes Impact Take Home Slide 3 Introduction Who we are The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) Largest tribally managed health organization in the nation Vision: Alaska Native people are the healthiest people in the world Mission: Providing the highest quality health services in partnership with our people and the Alaska Tribal Health System Slide 4 Introduction Environmental Health Field Environmental Health Program Air Quality Program Tribal Response Program (Brownfields) Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Research & Special Projects Slide 5 Map Introduction Background Principles of a Healthy Home Working Toward Healthier Homes Impact Take Home Slide 6 Background ANTHC Environmental Health received a request from a pulmonologist and created healthy homes study to determine the relationship between the home environment and childrens respiratory health Our goal is to improve the respiratory health of Alaska Native children, and provide a model to be used in indigenous communities throughout North America Slide 7 Respiratory Health Alaska Native children have some of the highest rates of respiratory illness ever documented Causes Poor indoor air quality Lack of in-home piped water services Slide 8 Map Introduction Background Principles of a Healthy Home Working Toward Healthier Homes Impact Take Home Slide 9 What are the 7 Principles? 1.Contaminant-Free 2.Ventilated 3.Dry 4.Safe 5.Maintained 6.Clean 7.Pest-Free Slide 10 How Can We Keep Our Homes Contaminant-Free? Behaviors include: Keep Fuels, Chemicals, and SMOKING outdoors Remove Carhartts, Smoking Jackets, and Snowsuits in the arctic entry Burn only dry wood and kindling in the woodstove Use chemicals as labeled and only when necessary Ventilate, Ventilate, Ventilate www.alaska-in-pictures.com Slide 11 Contaminant-Free Slide 12 How Can We Keep Our Homes Ventilated? Opportunities Include: Keep Passive Vents Open Keep the HRV Turned ON Use the Bathroom/Range Exhausts Routinely Clean Filters Slide 13 Ventilated Photo: byggmax.com Slide 14 How Can We Keep Our Homes Dry? Controlling Moisture Levels Includes: Monitor the %RH (30-50%) Use the range exhaust when cooking on the stove Avoid boiling water on the stove when not cooking Dry up spills, floods, and/or fix leaks Slide 15 Dry The key to a dry home is proper ventilation, humidity control, cleaning up moisture Slide 16 Map Introduction Background Principles of a Healthy Home Working Toward Healthier Homes Impact Take Home Slide 17 Steps Identify homes with children that have chronic respiratory illness Assess the home for indoor air quality concerns Modify the home to correct indoor air quality concerns Monitor air quality before and after modification Slide 18 Air Sampling Particulate Matter 2.5 Volatile Organic Compounds Carbon Dioxide Temperature Relative Humidity Carbon Monoxide Slide 19 New and/or Improved Vents Ventilation intake plugged with a rag New ventilation intake Slide 20 Cooking Stove Exhaust Installed Cooking stove with no range exhaust Cooking stove with a new range exhaust Slide 21 Woodstove Replacement New EPA-certified, low-emission woodstove Old woodstove Slide 22 Map Introduction Background Principles of a Healthy Home Working Toward Healthier Homes Impact Take Home Slide 23 Summary of Air Quality Results CO 2 (-26%) VOCs (-68%) PM2.5 (-21%) Naaman Tomaganuk, Housing Crew Member Slide 24 Limitations for Health Data Results Health data is only from residents reported lung health questionnaires of 2 week intervals Administered at initial contact, immediately before home modifications, 2 weeks, 3 months, & 1 year after home modifications Health data will be collected from chart reviews for clinic visits and hospitalizations Administered 1 year before and 1 year after home modifications School absences data will come from questionnaires and will not be verified through school records Slide 25 Health Impact Observed Changes (30 homes): Cold or Runny Nose (-23.0%) School absence from breathing problems (-27.3%) Clinic visits for respiratory (18 before, 9 after) Hospitalization for respiratory (7 before, 0 after) Slide 26 Behavior Changes Continued to use ventilation Determined ways to ventilate without making the home too cold Stopped working on engines in the home Became conscious of burning dry wood Slide 27 Preliminary Results Based on the results presented in the previous slides. We can conclude the following: Air quality was improved Fewer reported school absences, clinic visits, and hospitalizations from respiratory illness Residents were willing to change behaviors Slide 28 Map Introduction Background Principles of a Healthy Home Working Toward Healthier Homes Impact Take Home Slide 29 Takeaways We can make our homes healthier Keep contaminants out of the home Ventilate the home (Let the house breathe) Breathing cleaner air can contribute to better health Slide 30 Questions?