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Asthma is a chronic disease that cannot be cured but can be controlled. A key strategy used to control asthma is to reduce or eliminate the asthma triggers that cause or exacerbate the symptoms of the disease. It is critical that all those who work with, live with, and are affected by asthma have a good understanding of asthma triggers and how they can be effectively reduced to achieve asthma control.

The purpose of this report is to identify the key environmental asthma triggers that are present in Montana. Herein, readers will find a description of characteristics of the state that influence environmental asthma triggers. This is followed by a description of common outdoor, indoor, and work-related asthma triggers, and a discussion of how relevant these triggers are to Montana. The final segment of the paper describes current knowledge gaps, summarizes key clinical messages, and suggests public policy implications of the report's findings.

In 2005, local leaders in New York City developed the Washington Heights/Inwood Network for Asthma Program to address the burden of asthma in their community. Bilingual community health workers based in community organizations and the local hospital provided culturally appropriate education and support to families who needed help managing asthma. Families participating in the yearlong care coordination program received comprehensive asthma education, home environmental assessments, trigger reduction strategies, and clinical and social referrals. Since 2006, 472 families have enrolled in the yearlong program. After 12 months, hospitalizations and emergency department visits decreased by more than 50%, and caregiver confidence in controlling the child’s asthma increased to nearly 100%. Key to the program’s success was the commitment and involvement of community partners from program inception to date. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print April 19, 2012: e1-e4. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300585)

The Virtual School Walkthrough Webinar 2.0: Responding to Common IAQ Issues and Concerns
(January 26, 2012)

This Webinar investigated how IAQ management teams can effectively respond to issues/concerns, and communicate IAQ assessment findings to the school community. Tips and techniques on properly using common instruments, data collection and interpretation, and effectively reporting results were discussed. IAQ assessment experts Richard Prill (Building Science and IAQ Specialist at Washington State University) and David Blake (Environmental Specialist at the Northwest Clean Air Agency) presented.

Listen to the Webinar (MP3) (MP3, 01:29:32, 15.7 M) | Read the Transcript (PDF) (40 pp., 220 K| Use the Slideshow (PDF) (24 pp., 7.3 M) | Read the Questions and Answers (PDF) (6 pp., 163 K)