Efficacy of an In-home Test Kit in Reducing Dust Mite Allergen Levels: Results of a Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

AbstractBackground: Dust mite allergenscan induce allergic sensitization and exacerbate asthma symptoms. Although dust mitereduction and control strategies exist, few asthmatics employ them. Objectives: We examined whether an in-home test kit, which quantifies dust mite allergenlevels, resulted in behavioral changes in implementation and maintenance of mite reduction strategiesand helped reduce allergenlevels in homes of dust mite-sensitive children. Methods: We enrolled 60 households of children aged 5–15 with parent-reported dust miteallergy into a randomized controlled trial. Intervention homes (N = 30) received educational material about reducing dust mitesand test kits at 1, 2, 5 and 8 months. Control homes (N = 30) received only educational material. At baseline, 6 and 12 months, study staff visited all homes, collected dust samples from three locations and obtained information about parents’ mitereduction behaviors by questionnaire. Allergenconcentrations (Der f 2/Der p2) in dust were asse...