BEHAVIORAL-CHANGES FOLLOWING PARTICIPATION IN A HOME HEALTH PROMOTIONAL PROGRAM IN KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON

This study examined behavioral changes in households after participati on in a home environmental assessment. Home assessment visits by a tra ined coach, which involved a walk-through in the home with the home re sidents, were conducted in 36 homes. The walk-through included a list of recommended behavioral changes that the residents could make to red uce their exposures to home pollutants in areas such as dust control, moisture problems, indoor air, hazardous household products, and hobbi es. Recruited households were surveyed 3 months after the home assessm ent to evaluate their implementation of the recommendations. Following the home visits, 31 of 36 households reported making at least one beh avioral change, and 41% of the recommendations made by the volunteer c oaches were implemented. In conclusion, this study found that the majo rity of the households who participated in the home assessment reporte d implementing at least one recommendation. This home health promotion al method was effective in influencing behavioral changes.