Workplace air-conditioning and health services attendance among French middle-aged women: a prospective cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between type of ventilation in the workplace, health services attendance, and sickness absence among middle-aged women.


METHODS
In a national sample of 920 professionally active women aged 49-65 yr from the SU.VI.MAX cohort, recruited from the general population in France, health services attendance and sickness absence were assessed prospectively during 1999.


RESULTS
Being exposed to heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in the workplace proved to be a risk factor for attendance at global and several specialist medical services. The adjusted odds ratio for otorhinolaryngologist attendance was 2.33 (95% CI = 1.35-4.04) in the HVAC group compared with the natural ventilation group, and 1.70 (1.13-2.58) for sickness absence. Dermatologist and global medical services attendance rates may also be higher in this group (P = 0.06 in both cases).


CONCLUSIONS
Exposure to HVAC systems was a strong and significant risk factor for otorhinolaryngologist attendance and sickness absence. HVAC systems are prevalent in recent office buildings and have been shown to be associated with several adverse health effects in terms of morbidity and mortality. From a public-health perspective, our results outline the need for a quantitative assessment of the health impact of ventilation systems, taking into account the possible loss of production that exists in addition to the direct costs of medical services use.
Preziosi
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P
French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) Unit 557, UMR (INSERM/INRA/CNAM), Paris, France.
Czernichow
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S
Gehanno
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Hercberg
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D000368:Aged; D000389:Air Conditioning / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018877:Sick Building Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017132:Workplace