Relationship between indoor environmental quality and sick building syndrome: a case study of selected student’s hostels in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

An improved indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is a major determinant of human comfort in an occupied space. The current cross-sectional study investigates the link between indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and sick building syndrome symptoms (SBS) emergence with a case study of selected students’ hostels in a Nigerian private university. A quantitative research design method was adopted where 376 (n = 376) copies of the questionnaire were purposely administered to the student’s occupants. A mini environmental quality meter was also objectively used to measure the indoor air temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, and lighting levels in the selected hostel rooms in February and March 2019. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive and analysis of variance (ANOVA) inferential statistics using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 25.0 version. The research findings revealed that students show SBS symptoms like tiredness, sensitivity to odor, sneezing, and blocked nose during their hostels’ occupancy. Meanwhile, the objective measurement results showed an average indoor temperature of 29.93 °C, 31.64 °C, and 30.71 °C. Simultaneously, average relative humidity values of 79.00%, 72.06%, and 81.01% were obtained in the monitored rooms for the morning, afternoon, and evening. The ANOVA result established a positive relationship between poor IEQ condition and the SBS symptoms of odor, stuffy nose, and nausea. Therefore, it is recommended that the hostel facilities’ SBS be mitigated through acceptable IEQ parameters of air temperature and relative humidity, increasing students’ wellbeing, academic performance, and reputation.