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Environmental Inequities and Pediatric Asthma Disparities

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review provides updates on the topic of social inequities, indoor pollutant exposure, and asthma disparities; we provide an updated summary of behavior change and indoor air-quality interventions.

Recent Findings

Asthma disproportionately affects Black children and families with limited economic resources, potentially due to higher rates of substandard housing and resulting indoor exposures. The indoor environment contains both well-described allergens and pollutants and newer consumer chemicals of lesser-known significance. Maintaining good indoor air-quality remains a core recommendation in asthma management but can be expensive for poor families. Few widely disseminated programs are available to poor families that can help maintain healthy indoor air quality.

Summary

This paper examines the complex interplay between social inequities on indoor air quality and its impact on asthma disparities. This review also calls attention to the use of behavioral change models to potentially lead successful interventions utilizing home-based environmental remediation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Dr. Karen Sadler for reviewing their manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

    Zeni Scott, Shatha Yousef, Tarig Ali-Dinar, Susanne Meghdadpour & Jason E. Lang

  2. Department of Pediatric Allergy/Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

    Nicole Koutlas

  3. Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Killington, NC, USA

    Aidan Tirpack

  4. Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, NC, USA

    Kate Hoffman

  5. Children’s Health and Discovery Initiative, Durham, NC, USA

    Kate Hoffman

  6. Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 17969, Durham, NC, USA

    Jason E. Lang

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Scott, Z., Koutlas, N., Tirpack, A. et al. Environmental Inequities and Pediatric Asthma Disparities. Curr Pediatr Rep 11, 253–266 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-023-00308-0

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