The Relationship between Housing and Health: Children at Risk
Patrick Breysse,1 Nick Farr,2 Warren Galke,3 Bruce Lanphear,4 Rebecca Morley,3 and Linda Bergofsky5 1Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; 2Housing Consultant, Columbia, Maryland, USA; 3National Center for Healthy Housing, Columbia, Maryland, USA; 4Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; 5U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC, USA
Abstract
In November 2002, the National Center for Healthy Housing convened a 2-day workshop to review the state of knowledge in the field of healthy housing. The workshop, supported with funds from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and National Center for Environmental Health, was unique in that it focused solely on the effect of housing on children's health and the translation of research findings into practical activities in home construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance. Participants included experts and practitioners representing the health, housing, and environmental arenas. Presentations by subject-matter experts covered four key areas: asthma, neurotoxicants, injury, and translational research. Panel discussions followed the presentations, which generated robust dialogue on potential future research opportunities and overall policy gaps. Lack of consensus on standard measurements, incomplete understanding about the interaction of home hazards, inadequate research on the effectiveness of interventions, and insufficient political support limit current efforts to achieve healthy housing. However, change is forthcoming and achievable. Key words: asthma, childhood exposure, environmental toxicants, healthy housing, lead poisoning. Environ Health Perspect 112:1583-1588 (2004). [Online 18 August 2004]
Address correspondence to R. Morley, National Center for Healthy Housing, 10227 Wincopin Circle, Suite 100, Columbia, MD 21044 USA. Telephone: (410) 772-2774. Fax: (410) 715-2310. E-mail: rmorley@centerforhealthyhousing.org
We thank the following individuals for their contributions to the workshop: P. Eggleston, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; D. Dockery, Harvard School of Public Health; T. Buckley, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; P. Gergen, Center for Primary Care and Research, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; L. Wallace, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; T. Matte, R. Jackson, and M.J. Brown, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); K. Dietrich, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; R.M. Whyatt, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University; K. Yolton and K.J. Phelan, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; J.A. Paulson, George Washington University School of Medicine; C. Branche, M. Jackson, and D. Sleet, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC; D. Jacobs and E. Taylor, Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; E. Tohn, ERT Associates; K. Stein, Office of Sen. Jack Reed, RI; J. Sharfstein, Committee on Government Reform, Office of Rep. Henry Waxman, CA; D. Ryan, Alliance for Healthy Homes.
This workshop was supported by grants R13/CCR322017-01 and EHLP017/03 from the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and National Center for Environmental Health. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC.
The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.
