HEPA Air Cleaners for Childhood Asthma

Overseen By Christine Loftus, PhD, MPH

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Washington

Disqualifiers: Severe asthma, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

60 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests whether portable air cleaners with HEPA filters can improve indoor air quality and asthma health in children. The researchers aim to determine if these air cleaners, combined with asthma education from community health workers, can reduce asthma attacks in children living near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, an area with high air pollution. Children aged 6-12 with asthma, who live near the airport and do not have severe asthma, may be suitable for this study. The trial compares a real HEPA air cleaner with a modified, less effective version to determine which works better. As an unphased trial, this study offers families a unique opportunity to contribute to research that could enhance asthma management for children in polluted areas.

Do I need to stop my child's current asthma medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications. It seems focused on using air cleaners to improve asthma, so it's likely you won't need to stop any medications, but you should confirm with the trial organizers.

What prior data suggests that HEPA air cleaners are safe for children with asthma?

Research has shown that HEPA air cleaners are generally safe to use. They improve indoor air quality by reducing tiny particles, which can benefit children with asthma. In previous studies, children who used portable HEPA air cleaners experienced better asthma outcomes over a year. While these air cleaners reduced unexpected asthma-related doctor visits, they did not significantly change asthma symptoms.

No reports have directly linked negative effects to using HEPA air cleaners. Designed to enhance air quality, they are safely used in homes and classrooms. Overall, HEPA air cleaners are well-tolerated and considered safe, particularly for improving air quality for children with asthma. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about using HEPA air cleaners for childhood asthma because they tackle indoor air quality directly, which is a significant trigger for asthma symptoms. Unlike standard treatments like inhalers and medications that manage symptoms after exposure, HEPA filters aim to prevent exposure by removing allergens and pollutants from the air. This proactive approach could reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks, offering a complementary strategy to traditional asthma management.

What evidence suggests that HEPA air cleaners are effective for improving indoor air quality and child asthma health?

Research shows that HEPA air filters can greatly help children manage asthma. In this trial, participants will join one of two groups: one will receive an effective portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter, while the other will receive a less effective control air cleaner. Studies have found that using HEPA air cleaners improves health and quality of life for kids with uncontrolled asthma. Specifically, one study discovered that children using portable HEPA air cleaners experienced noticeable improvements in their asthma symptoms over a year. Evidence also suggests that these cleaners remove asthma triggers from the air, which is crucial for managing asthma. Overall, experts agree that HEPA filters effectively improve indoor air quality and reduce asthma-related problems. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Elena Austin, Sc.D.

Principal Investigator

University of Washington

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

The AAA Study is for children with asthma living in South King County, Washington, an area affected by airport and highway pollution. Up to 60 kids will be chosen randomly to join either the intervention or control group. They must have a diagnosis of childhood asthma to participate.

Inclusion Criteria

My caregiver is comfortable with English for all study activities.

I am familiar with my child's daily asthma condition.

Residence within 10 miles of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as determined by zip code

Exclusion Criteria

My child has severe asthma, with daily symptoms or multiple hospital visits.

Households were excluded if there were multiple individuals within the same household with asthma eligible for the King County CHW Asthma Program or had severe asthma.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Baseline assessments of indoor air quality and airway health are conducted

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants receive either a HEPA air cleaner or a sham air cleaner for 3 months

12 weeks

Weekly online surveys

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for air quality and asthma symptoms after the intervention

3 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Portable air cleaner with HEPA filter

Trial Overview This study tests if portable air cleaners with HEPA filters can improve indoor air quality and reduce asthma problems in kids when combined with education from community health workers. Half the participants will use a less effective cleaner without HEPA as a comparison.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Effective portable air cleaner (HEPA) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

During the baseline home visit, a Winix 9800 air cleaner is installed in the child's bedroom and paired with data logging energy use monitor as well as air quality monitor. Households randomized to the intervention group receive an air cleaner with a pre-filter, carbon filter, and with the HEPA air filter pre-installed.

Group II: Control portable air cleaner (less effective). Placebo Group 1 Intervention

During the baseline home visit, a Winix 9800 air cleaner is installed in the child's bedroom. In the sham group, the Winix 9800 true HEPA filter and activated carbon filter which were removed via an internal modification not visible to the user. The air cleaner still included a washable fine mesh pre-filter that captures large airborne particles. Households randomized to the sham group receive an air cleaner with only the pre-filter and without the carbon filter, and HEPA air filter.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Washington

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,858

Recruited

2,023,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7895332/

HEPA filtration improves asthma control in children exposed to ... In this study, HEPA filtration is associated with improved clinical outcomes and quality of life measures in children with uncontrolled asthma.

2. ehjournal.biomedcentral.com ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-021-00816-w

Randomized trial of a portable HEPA air cleaner intervention ... We observed statistically significant improvement in asthma outcomes for a one-year follow-up period among children provided portable HEPA air ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8577577/

Effectiveness of portable HEPA air cleaners on reducing ... Evidence suggests that portable HEPA cleaners may help reduce asthma triggers in household air. To address community concerns, we conducted the ...

4. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07116460

Cost Effective Air Filtration Intervention in Low-Income ... This project will investigate the effectiveness of HEPA air cleaners in reducing indoor air pollution and improving asthma morbidity in ...

5. jamanetwork.com jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2839930

Air Purifier Intervention for Respiratory Viral Exposure in ... Objective To evaluate whether portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifiers are associated with reduced respiratory virus exposure ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3010094/

Effects of HEPA Air Cleaners on Unscheduled Asthma ... HEPA air cleaners led to reductions in unscheduled asthma visits and fine airborne particle levels but not asthma symptoms or cotinine levels.

7. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41370-025-00743-9

Classroom air quality in a randomized crossover trial with ... Like the previous results, portable HEPA filter air cleaners were effective in improving short-term air quality in classroom environments. It is ...

8. cidrap.umn.edu cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-general/hepa-purifiers-not-tied-less-viral-exposure-elementary-classrooms-analysis-finds

HEPA purifiers not tied to less viral exposure in elementary ... "While our study did not find that HEPA air purifiers reduced high viral exposure in classrooms, it's important to note that the trial was ...

9. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720361143

Review of impacts on indoor air quality and health A systematic literature review was carried out to examine the impact of portable air purifiers (PAPs) on indoor air quality (PM 2.5 ) and health.