Ensuring Healthy American Indian Generations for Tomorrow through Safe and Healthy Indoor Environments

Joseph A. Pacheco, Christina M. Pacheco, Charley Lewis, Chandler Williams, Charles Barnes, Lanny Rosenwasser, Won S. Choi and Christine M. Daley
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Joseph A. Pacheco: Center for American Indian Community Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. MS 1030, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA
Christina M. Pacheco: Center for American Indian Community Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. MS 1030, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA
Charley Lewis: Center for American Indian Community Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. MS 1030, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA
Chandler Williams: Center for American Indian Community Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. MS 1030, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA
Charles Barnes: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. MS 1008, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA
Lanny Rosenwasser: Department of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, 2401 Gillham Rd., Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
Won S. Choi: Center for American Indian Community Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. MS 1030, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA
Christine M. Daley: Center for American Indian Community Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. MS 1030, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: American Indians (AI) have the highest rate of severe physical housing problems in the U.S. (3.9%). Little information exists about the environmental hazards in AI homes. The purposes of this paper are to discuss challenges that were encountered when recruiting AI for a home-and employment-based environmental health assessments, highlight major successes, and propose recommendations for future indoor environmental health studies. The Center for American Indian Community Health (CAICH) and Children’s Mercy Hospital’s Center for Environmental Health and Allergy and Immunology Research Lab collaborated to provide educational sessions and healthy home assessments for AI. Through educational trainings, more than 240 AI were trained on the primary causes of health problems in homes. A total of 72 homes and places of employment were assessed by AI environmental health specialists. The top three categories with the most concerns observed in the homes/places of employment were allergens/dust (98%), safety/injury (89%) and chemical exposure (82%). While some information on smoking inside the home was collected, these numbers may have been underreported due to stigma. This was CAICH’s first endeavor in environmental health and although challenges arose, many more successes were achieved.

Keywords: American Indians; healthy home; home assessment; environmental (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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