Healthy Homes in Rural Alaska AJ Salkoski Project Manager Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

Map Introduction Background Principles of a Healthy Home Working Toward Healthier Homes Impact Take Home

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

Introduction Environmental Health Field Environmental Health Program Air Quality Program Tribal Response Program (Brownfields) Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Research & Special Projects

Map Introduction Background Principles of a Healthy Home Working Toward Healthier Homes Impact Take Home

Background ANTHC Environmental Health received a request from a pulmonologist and created healthy homes study to determine the relationship between the home environment and children’s 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

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

Map Introduction Background Principles of a Healthy Home Working Toward Healthier Homes Impact Take Home

What are the 7 Principles? Contaminant-Free Ventilated Dry Safe Maintained Clean Pest-Free

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

Contaminant-Free

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

Ventilated Photo: byggmax.com

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

Dry The key to a dry home is proper ventilation, humidity control, cleaning up moisture

Map Introduction Background Principles of a Healthy Home Working Toward Healthier Homes Impact Take Home

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

Air Sampling Particulate Matter 2.5 Volatile Organic Compounds Carbon Dioxide Temperature Relative Humidity Carbon Monoxide

New and/or Improved Vents Ventilation intake plugged with a rag New ventilation intake Was a shirt a in the vent, now it is being used properly and happily

Cooking Stove Exhaust Installed Cooking stove with a new range exhaust Cooking stove with no range exhaust

Woodstove Replacement New EPA-certified, low-emission woodstove Old woodstove

Map Introduction Background Principles of a Healthy Home Working Toward Healthier Homes Impact Take Home

Summary of Air Quality Results CO2 (-26%) VOCs (-68%) PM2.5 (-21%) Naaman Tomaganuk, Housing Crew Member

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

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)

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

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

Map Introduction Background Principles of a Healthy Home Working Toward Healthier Homes Impact Take Home

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

Questions?