EPA Study Finds Keys to Success for Asthma Programs: Asthma Health Outcomes Project

Contact: Roxanne Smith, (202) 564-4355 / smith.roxanne@epa.gov

(Washington D.C. - May 2, 2006)

Asthma programs that address environmental triggers work best when closely connected to front-line health care providers and local communities, according to an international study of over 400 asthma programs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funded the $700,000, three-year study completed by the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

The release of the study coincides with Asthma Awareness Month. Asthma persists as the most common serious chronic disease in children. EPA's Asthma Initiative includes research, education and outreach to identify the environmental factors that cause asthma and asthma symptoms. The initiative also promotes effective measures to reduce exposure to these factors.

Preliminary quantitative analyses suggest that programs are more likely to report a positive impact on health outcomes if they:

* Work with health care providers

* Have close ties to the communities they are attempting to assist

* Collaborate with other agencies or institutions

* Follow established steps of program development in order to meet the needs of the community

* Are tailored to meet the needs individual participants, particularly with regard to individuals' sensitivity to environmental triggers.

Analyses also demonstrated significant challenges working with low income populations and implementing rigorous evaluations that fit with the program goals and resources.

Information on asthma and EPA's Asthma Initiative and the report: