RecruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

The Barts Charity Children's Environmental Health Clinic

This study is running from a new NHS service for children's environmental health. It's for children aged 4 to 17 who have ongoing breathing problems like asthma. We want to understand how things in their home environment might be affecting their health. We'll use special monitors to check your child's exposure to different things around them and also look at their home environment. Based on what we find, we'll give you a personalised report with ideas and advice on how to reduce any harmful exposures in your home. We'll then check again after you've tried these changes, to see how well they're working to help your child feel better.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

Queen Mary University of London

Enrolment target

200

Start

24 Jul 2025

Estimated completion

01 Jun 2027

Environmental Exposure Health Behavior Asthma in Children Environmental Illness

What is this study about?

This study is being run by a new NHS service called the Children's Environmental Health Service. We know that things in our homes and local areas can affect our health, especially for children with existing breathing conditions like asthma. This study aims to help us understand this link better and find practical ways to improve it.

If your child takes part, we'll work with you to understand what might be impacting their breathing. This involves checking elements in your home environment, like air quality, and using small personal monitors for your child to wear, which will measure what they're exposed to day-to-day. Based on this information, we'll create a personalised report for you. This report will explain what we found and give you clear, easy-to-follow advice on how you might be able to make changes in your home to help your child's breathing.

After you've had a chance to try some of these suggested changes, we'll repeat the monitoring. This helps us see if the changes you've made are making a difference and how effective they are. All the information we gather from medical notes, questionnaires, and clinic visits will be kept very securely. This research is important because it could help many children with ongoing breathing problems in the future, by showing us the best ways to improve their environment.

Key takeaways

The study helps us understand how your home affects your child's breathing.
It's for children aged 4-17 with long-term breathing problems like asthma.
We'll monitor your child's environment and offer personalised advice.
We'll check if the changes you make are helping your child.
All information is kept secure and confidential.
Your child's participation could help many other children in the future.

Who may be eligible?

This study is looking for children aged between 4 and 17 years old who have a long-term breathing condition, such as asthma, that has been diagnosed by a doctor. It's important that you, as their parent or guardian, are happy to give your permission for them to take part and can understand English well enough to communicate with the study team.

Your child should also be able to use some simple electronic devices that will help us gather information for the study. You will need to be able to come to the hospital for an initial visit and allow the study team to visit your home to carry out environmental assessments.

Unfortunately, if your child is unable to use the study tools or devices, or if you can't come to the hospital or have a home assessment, then they won't be able to take part in this particular study.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Is your child aged between 4 and 17 years old?
Does your child have a long-term breathing condition diagnosed by a doctor?
Can you, as their parent/guardian, give permission and understand English?
Are you able to bring your child to the hospital for an initial visit?
Are you happy for the team to visit your home for an assessment?
Can your child manage to use simple electronic devices for monitoring?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If your child joins the study, you'll start with a visit to the clinic where we'll talk in detail about your child's health and answer any questions you have. We'll also look at your child's past medical notes from the Royal London Hospital. You and your child will complete some questionnaires about their health and their home environment.

Then, we'll carry out special monitoring. This means checking your home environment for things that might affect your child's breathing, and your child might wear a small monitor to track their daily exposure to different environmental factors. After this, you'll receive a detailed, personalised report with advice on how to make changes to your home environment.

After you've had time to put some of these suggestions into practice, we’ll repeat the monitoring and assessments. This allows us to see how effective the changes have been for your child. Throughout the study, you'll have regular follow-up contact with the research team. The exact total duration will depend on how long it takes to complete the monitoring and assess the changes, but the team will explain this fully to you.

Potential risks and benefits

Taking part in this study could potentially benefit your child by providing you with personalised advice on how to improve their home environment and help manage their breathing condition. There are no known physical risks associated with this study, as it focuses on observation and environmental changes rather than new medications or procedures. The main commitment is your time and cooperation with the monitoring and clinic visits. You are free to withdraw your child from the study at any time, for any reason, without it affecting their usual medical care.

Locations (2)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

Queen Mary University of London
Verified postcode
London, United Kingdom· Enrolling by invitation
The Royal London Hospital
Verified postcode
London, United Kingdom· Recruiting

Common questions

What kind of breathing conditions is this study for?

This study is for children with any long-term breathing condition diagnosed by a doctor, such as asthma.

Will my child have to take new medicine?

No, this study does not involve any new medicines. It focuses on understanding and improving your home environment.

What happens during a home environmental assessment?

During a home assessment, a member of the study team will visit your home to check for things like air quality, damp, or other environmental factors that might affect breathing.

Will my child need to wear anything special?

Your child might wear a small, lightweight device for a period of time to monitor their personal exposure to environmental factors.

What kind of advice will I get?

You'll receive a personalised report with practical and clear advice on how to make changes in your home to help your child's breathing.

How to find out more

Charles S Moorcroft

c.moorcroft@qmul.ac.uk 07808061892 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.