Abstract
The influence of indoor climate factors on symptoms of the sick building syndrome was investigated in Greater Copenhagen, Denmark. Altogether, 2369 office workers in 14 buildings, where indoor climate measurements were made, filled out a questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analyses of the multifactorial effects on the prevalence of work-related mucosal irritation and work-related general symptoms among the office workers showed that the concentration of macromolecular organic floor dust, the floor covering, the number of workplaces in the office, the age of the building, the type of ventilation, and two easily recognizable factors, the shelf factor and the fleece factor, were associated with the prevalence of symptoms.
Highlights
Virum, Denmark. 4 The Danish Indoor Climate Study Group: S Gravesen: Allergologic laboratory; E Christophersen, J Kristensen, 0 Nielsen, PA Nielsen, ES Olsen and 0 Valbjern: Danish Building Research Institute; V Clausen: Danish Illuminating Engineering Laboratory; L Melhave: Institute of Hygiene, Aarhus; 0 Albrechtsen and PO Fanger: Laboratory of Heating and Air-conditioning, Technical University of Denmark; N Jonassen: Laboratory of Technical Physics, Technical University of Denmark; I Andersen, NO Breum, C Franck, P Laursen, P-A Lund, T Schneider, and P Wolkoff: National Institute of Occupational Health; F Gyntelberg and P Skov: Clinic of Occupational Medicine, Rigshospitalet
We have previously reported that factors such as sex, job category, work functions, and psychosocial factors of work were associated with work-related mucosal irritation and work-related general symptoms, but these factors could not account for the differences between the town halls as to the prevalence of the symptoms
All the indoor climate factors shown in table 2 and a couple of other factors were significantly associated with mucosal irritation in the multivariate anal yses, when added separately to the logistic regression model containing the main effects of personal characteristic s, job-related factors, and psychosocial factors
Summary
The purpose of the Danish town hall study, of which this investigation was a part, was to examine the influence of various indoor climate factors on the prevalence of the symptoms of the sick building syndrome. We have previously reported that factors such as sex, job category, work functions (handling of carbonless paper, photocopying, work at video display terminals), and psychosocial factors of work (dissatisfaction with superiors or colleagues and quantity of work inhibiting job satisfaction) were associated with work-related mucosal irritation and work-related general symptoms, but these factors could not account for the differences between the town halls as to the prevalence of the symptoms. The association between the measured indoor climate factors and work-related mucosal irritation and workrelated general symptoms has been described
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