Home environment allergen exposure scale in older adult cohort with asthma

Home environmental exposures are a primary source of asthma exacerbation. There is a gap in decision support models that efficiently aggregate the home exposure assessment scores for focused and tailored interventions. Three development methods of a home environment allergen exposure scale for persons with asthma (weighted by dimension reduction, unweighted, precision biomarker-based) were compared, and racial disparity tested.

Baseline measures from a longitudinal cohort of 187 older adults with asthma were analyzed using humidity and particulate matter sensors, allergy testing, and a home environment checklist. Weights for the dimension reduction scale were obtained from factor analysis, applied for loadings > 0.35. Scales were tested in linear regression models with asthma control and asthma quality of life outcomes. Racial disparities were tested using t tests. Scale performance was tested using unadjusted regression analyses with asthma control and asthma quality of life outcomes, separately.

The 7-item empirically weighted scale demonstrated best performance with asthma control associations (F = 4.65, p = 0.03, R² = .02) and quality of life (F = 6.45, p = 0.01, R² = .03) as follows: evidence of roach/mice, dust, mold, tobacco smoke exposure, properly venting bathroom fan, self-report of roach/mice/rats, and access to a HEPA filter vacuum. Pets indoors loaded on a separate scale. Racial differences were observed (t = - 3.09, p = 0.004).

The Home Environment Allergen Exposure Scale scores were associated with racial disparities. Replicating these methods in populations residing in high-risk/low-income housing may generate a clinically meaningful, tailored assessment of asthma triggers. Further consideration for variables that address allergic reactivity and biomarker results is indicated to enhance the potential for a precision prevention score.