Pilotto LS, Nitschke M, Smith BJ, Pisaniello D, Ruffin RE, McElroy HJ, Martin J, Hiller JE. 2004.
Randomized controlled trial of unflued gas heater replacment on respiratory health of asthmatic schoolchildren.International Journal of Epidemiology (Int J Epidemiol), 33 (1): pp.208-211.
This was an intervention study of 18 Australian schools using unflued gas heating, a source of nitrogen dioxide (NO2)-- a chemical compound found in indoor and outdoor air that has been associated with asthma episodes and increased asthma symptoms (see CAFA Briefing Kit fact sheets). Eight schools received replacement flued gas or electric heaters while the other 10 remained the same and acted as controls. Telephone interviews collected data on daily asthma symptoms of 199 eligible children (45 in intervention schools, 73 in control schools) over 12 weeks of winter.
Among the findings, daytime asthma attacks were statistically significantly lower among study children in the intervention schools, which had mean indoor air NO2 concentrations three times lower than in control schools. These data suggested the intervention, which reduced school-day exposure to NO2, was successful. |
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