ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a pilot intervention study on house dust mite allergen avoidance for twelve asthmatic children. The study adopted a holistic approach, with a number of measures for allergen removal and avoidance, including tailored advice aimed at reducing mite population growth via changes in moisture production, heating and ventilation habits. The study addressed four issues: the effect of allergen removal on the children's health; the effect of tailored advice on occupant behaviour and the resultant hygrothermal conditions; the effect of the hygrothermal changes on mite populations; and the efficacy of monitoring/modelling techniques. The study is described with a view to demonstrate the complexities associated with housing, indoor air quality and health. The chapter shows the baseline results from the pre-intervention study, including the dust sampling findings. The pre-intervention study results were analysed so that tailored advice could be provided to each household on the most appropriate heating, ventilation and moisture-production patterns, which could reduce house dust mite population growth.
