About
The goal of this project is to examine the effectiveness of an indoor air purifier intervention in reducing Particulate Matter (PM) and adverse respiratory outcomes among low-income children with asthma during wildfire season in Sonoma County, California. We will compare the effectiveness of HEPA-certified air purifiers, which have been widely shown to decrease indoor PM and asthma symptoms in children living in urban settings with exposure to traffic related air pollution, with DIY air purifiers that may be more accessible to lower-income populations. We will recruit 40 children (<18 years) of low-income and/or minority backgrounds with clinically diagnosed asthma from Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and medical centers in Sonoma County. Participants will randomly be assigned to receive a HEPA-certified or low-cost DIY air purifier and will be matched on week of enrollment. We will measure indoor and outdoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at baseline and continuously throughout the 12-week intervention. We will examine the impact of the intervention on airway inflammation and asthma exacerbation using:
- Weekly asthma control questionnaires.
- Peak Expiatory Flow Rate (PEFR), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume exhaled in the first second (FEV1) assessed via spirometer.
- Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). We will work with a local Community Health Worker (CHW) and develop a Youth Community Council (YCC) to conduct the data collection, return results to the study participants, and disseminate the research findings to the community at large.
Note: This internship will take place at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, including travel to Sonoma for in-person data collection (transportation is provided by the research team).
Required Skills:
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Spanish fluency (preferred)
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Flexibility to travel for in-person data collection (transportation with supervisor/research team provided)
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Excellent communication skills
