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Objective To assess whether non-polluting, more effective home heating (heat pump, wood pellet burner, flued gas) has a positive effect on the health of children with asthma.

Design Randomised controlled trial.

Setting Households in five communities in New Zealand.

Participants 409 children aged 6-12 years with doctor diagnosed asthma.

Interventions Installation of a non-polluting, more effective home heater before winter. The control group received a replacement heater at the end of the trial.

Main outcome measures The primary outcome was change in lung function (peak expiratory flow rate and forced expiratory volume in one second, FEV₁). Secondary outcomes were child reported respiratory tract symptoms and daily use of preventer and reliever drugs. At the end of winter 2005 (baseline) and winter 2006 (follow-up) parents reported their child’s general health, use of health services, overall respiratory health …