Study of the different Cutoff Point of the QEESI Questionnaire as a Screening Tool for Sick Building Syndrome Diagnosis in Taiwan

Abstract

The Indoor Air Quality Management Act in Taiwan formally came into effect in November 2012 to protect public health. Studies have reported that public and private buildings in Taiwan currently have been facing pollution problems regarding indoor air quality (IAQ), which threatens the health of occupants.1), 2)To clarify the correlation between the indoor air environment and influences on human health by using an economical and efficient method, the United States, Japan, and other countries use screening tools first to understand the health effects on building occupants, and, subsequently, adopt appropriate examination methods once primary influential factors are identified. To enable the integration of research results from Taiwan with those from abroad, this study introduced the quick environmental exposure and sensitivity inventory (QEESI) questionnaire, which the United States, Japan, and other countries have implemented for many years. In this study, the applicability of the QEESI questionnaire in screening sick building syndrome (SBS) in Taiwan was examined by observing the association between the QEESI score and IAQ survey results. The results from Taiwan were compared with those from the United States and Japan. A questionnaire concerning personal and residential environmental factors was also incorporated to identify factors with significant predictive power for the QEESI score.The following conclusions were derived from this study.1. The correlation between the IAQ survey values and the QEESI score indicates the capability of the QEESI questionnaire to identify problems related to sick buildings and to serve as a screening tool for SBS in Taiwan.2. Currently, using the cutoff points proposed by Japanese researchers3-5) to judge the QEESI score can optimally enhance the correlation between the IAQ survey results and the QEESI scores for people in Taiwan.3. Eight factors with significant predictively power for the QEESI score include gender, age, an understanding of the mechanism of SBS occurrence, allergy history, building type, air ventilation, the use of deodorants and fragrances, and smoking. These factors can serve as key points when performing on-site examinations.