Study Information & Goals

During Phase I of the Mountain West Hub (MWH), local communities identified air quality as a major concern linked to environmental stressors such as heat, drought, land management practices, and wildfire smoke. These environmental challenges have resulted in elevated levels of particulate matter (PM), which are associated with adverse health outcomes such as asthma exacerbations, cardiovascular issues, and respiratory diseases. The Phase II study aims to address environmental health disparities, focusing on air quality exposures in rural and urban communities in Colorado's San Luis Valley (SLV) and West Denver (WD).

 

Specifically, this study will address three aims: 1) evaluate impacts of intervention on air filter adoption, use, and maintenance (behavioral outcomes); 2) evaluate impacts of air filters on exposure to indoor PM associated with ambient PM due to environmental stressors; and 3) evaluate impacts of air filters on health outcomes (physical and mental health) and biomarkers of exposures (urinary markers). Below is a visualization of our conceptual framework:

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This community-driven intervention has the potential to reduce health disparities associated with environmental air quality exposures and serve as a model for similar communities in the Mountain West region and beyond.