Women and indoor air pollution study - WINAP (Pilot study)v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Short-term respiratory health effects and indoor nitrogen dioxide exposure in a panel of asthmatic women: The Women and Indoor Air Pollution Study (pilot study)
IRAS ID
124799
Contact name
Debbie Jarvis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
IMPERIAL COLLEGE
Research summary
This is a pilot study to test the feasibility of the design that could be applied to a larger panel study. We are going to collect information from 20 adults with asthma and investigate if their asthma symptoms get worse when they come into contact with nitrogen dioxide, an air pollutant commonly present in kitchen as a product of combustion from gas cooking appliances.
Each participant will be involved in the study for 8 weeks only. They will be provided with small air monitors to be placed in the kitchen and replaced weekly, weekly diaries, a peak flow meter and pre-stamped Jiffy bags. In the weekly diary participants will keep a record of their morning and evening PEF, the quality of their respiratory symptoms, reliever usage and the time spent on cooking. Every week research staff will be in contact with participant and remind her to replace the air monitor and send it back along with completed weekly diary.
Research staff will visit participants at home at the beginning of the study and demonstrate how to fill in the diary, use the peak flow meter and install the air pollutant monitor. During the 8-week period research staff will visit participant at home to install a second monitor and after 8 days to remove it.
Findings will provide information on how to develop a larger panel study to help us understand whether exposure to indoor air pollutants generated from gas cooking is associated with a worsening in respiratory health in asthmatic women.
These studies are difficult to do and we wish to develop appropriate questionnaires and monitoring strategies to ensure high response and completion rates for a larger study.
REC name
South Central - Oxford A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/SC/0560
Date of REC Opinion
11 Nov 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion