Health and Unflued Gas Heaters Study: The Impact of Unflued Low NOx Gas Heaters on Lung Function and Respiratory Symptoms in Schoolchildren.

In schoolchildren aged 8 to 12 years, is exposure to unflued low NOx gas heaters, compared to flued gas heaters, associated with worse lung function and more frequent respiratory symptoms?

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ANZCTR

Registry ID

ACTRN12609000610235

Acronym

HUGHS

Enrollment

400

Registered

2009-07-22

Start date

2009-06-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2020-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

The aim of this project is provide the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) and other current or potential users of low NOx emission heaters with independent, reliable and unbiased evidence of their short-term impact on exposure to pollutants, symptoms and function in primary school-age children.

Interventions

Low NOx unflued gas heaters The exposure period is schooldays each week (Monday to Friday). The washout period between exposures is the weekend (Saturday and Sunday). The low NOx unflued gas heaters will be used in alternating weeks during the 6 week exposure assessment. The low NOx unflued gas heaters will be used for a total of 3 weeks and the flued gas heaters will be used for a total of 3 weeks. The classroom teacher will not know which type of heater is the exposure heater for the week.

Study design

Allocation

Randomised controlled trial

Intervention model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Prevention

Masking

Blinded (masking used)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

8 Years to 12 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

Classrooms: 1) in Blue Mountains or Southern Highlands region of NSW 2) heated by low NOx unflued gas heaters 3) no artificial ventilation or other heating sources 4) suitable for installation of flued gas heater 5) Year 3 to Year 6 students Students: all students within these classes are eligible

Exclusion criteria

Classrooms: 1) artificial ventilation or other heating source 2) unsuitable for installation of flued gas heater Students: those who, in the opinion of the class teacher, would not be able to undertake the procedures outline below due to physical or intellectual disability or due to inability to communicate in English.

Outcome results