“You can feel the fresh air … ” Rural Alaska Native household perceptions of home air purifiers and health

• Published in: International Journal of Circumpolar Health
• Main Authors: Madilyn Short, Jennifer Dobson, Gretchen Day, Brian Lefferts, Rosalyn Singleton, James Keck
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024
• Subjects: Alaska Native; respiratory; children; lung disease; air pollution; air filtration; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Circumpolar Health; International Journal of Circumpolar Health; Kuskokwim; Alaska; Yukon
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2024.2335702; https://doaj.org/article/99f59162544147c6a13edb51d452a158

ABSTRACTAlaska Native and American Indian children experience frequent respiratory illness. Indoor air quality is associated with the severity and frequency of respiratory infections in children. High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifiers effectively improve indoor air quality and may protect respiratory health. In 2019, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation implemented a pilot programme that provided education and HEPA purifiers to households of children with chronic lung conditions. The team evaluated HEPA purifier acceptability and use by interviewing representatives from 11 households that participated in the pilot programme. All interviewees reported improvement in their child’s health, and some believed that the health of other household members was also improved because of the HEPA purifier. Interviewees reported that the HEPA purifiers were easy to use, quiet, and not expensive to run. Five of 11 households were still using the HEPA purifier at the time of the interview, which was about three years after receipt of the unit. The most common reasons for discontinuing use were equipment failure and lack of replacement filter, suggesting that programme support could increase sustainability. Our evaluation suggests that HEPA purifiers are acceptable and feasible for use in rural Alaska Native households.