This is a five-part blog series about the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program’s impact.
Part 5 is finally here. I’m finally going to talk about how prevalence, “Health Mavens”, tactics, and awareness all fit together like puzzle pieces to construct the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program story.
Here’s the story.
Asthma and allergies affect 1 out of 5 Americans. That’s over 50% of U.S. households. There is no cure for asthma or allergies, so what are the 60 million Americans with these diseases supposed to do? If you can’t cure your disease, how are you supposed to stop the runny nose, sneezing, difficulty breathing, hives, etc.? According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), you reduce your symptoms through “environmental control.” Reducing your exposure to asthma and allergy triggers in your home is a vital component of asthma and allergy management.
As a result, the Certification Program was created to service those suffering from asthma and allergies, like you, by helping them find truthful product claims, raising product standards, encouraging manufacturers to innovate in the asthma and allergy market, and educating patients (as well as manufacturers) about asthma and allergy issues.
In a recent survey conducted by The Nielsen Company, the Certification Program found that a particular group of people—one that you’re most likely a part of—go the extra mile when it comes to improving their indoor air quality and reducing asthma and allergy triggers in the home.
They are called “Health Mavens” and they have at least one family member in their household who is affected by asthma or allergies. Almost 50% of “Health Mavens” are concerned about their home’s indoor air quality as a result of their family’s sensitivities, and they do something about it.
Almost 80% of “Health Mavens” put at least a moderate effort into improving their home’s indoor air quality. Specific approaches include:
- Using a HEPA-filtered vacuum;
- Using special, unscented cleaning products;
- Using portable air cleaners;
- Hiring professional carpet cleaners;
- Using a steam washing machine;
- Using allergen barrier bedding;
- Using HVAC systems;
- Inserting special flooring; and
- Using VOC-free paints.
But it’s important to remember, not all household cleaning products are equal. Only products with the distinctive asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Mark are scientifically proven to be more suitable for people with asthma and allergies.
So do “Health Mavens” even know the Certification Mark exists? If they do, do they trust the mark? That same survey found that over 30% of “Health Mavens” recognize the Certification Mark and 35% trust the Mark. That’s up from 4% recognition and 13% trust in just two short years. After seeing the Mark, 62% of “Health Mavens” believe it represents a product that is a better choice and 42% would purchase a product with the Mark over a product without.
In short, there are a lot of people and households that are affected by asthma and allergies. Because there is no cure for these diseases, it’s important to practice “environmental control” to reduce your exposure to triggers. However, navigating manufacturer claims about cleaning products can be tricky. That’s why the Certification Program was created. The Certification Mark helps “Health Mavens” like you find household cleaning products like vacuums, air cleaners, washing machines, etc. that are more suitable for you and your loved ones. So help spread the word about the Certification Program and Mark. Like and share this post with friends and family that you know could benefit from Certified asthma & allergy friendly® products.