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P Howden-Chapman
Prof P Howden-Chapman, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand; philippa.howden-chapman@otago.ac.nz
QUESTION
Does upgrading home heating systems improve the health of children with asthma?
METHODS
Design:
randomised controlled trial. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00489762
Allocation:
concealed.
Blinding:
unblinded.
Follow-up period:
baseline measures taken during winter 2005 and follow-up measures taken during winter 2006.
Setting:
households in 5 communities in New Zealand.
Patients:
409 children 6–12 years of age who had physician diagnosed asthma that was symptomatic in the previous year and slept ⩾4 nights/week in a house with a less effective form of heating (unflued gas or plug-in electric heaters).
Intervention:
installation of a non-polluting, more effective replacement heater (heat pump, wood pellet burner, or flued gas) before winter 2006 (n = 200) or maintenance of the old heating system for another winter (n = 209) (this group received new heaters after completion of the trial). Houses in both groups were insulated to …
Footnotes
Source of funding: Health Research Council of New Zealand; Contact Energy; Ministry for the Environment; Hutt Valley district health board; Capital and Coast district health board; Housing New Zealand; Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority; LPG Association.