title: Persistent allergic rhinitis and indoor air quality perception--an experimental approach.
abstract: In order to compare patterns of indoor air perception, including perceptions of temperature, air movement, indoor air quality (IAQ), mental concentration, and comfort, 33 subjects either with persistent allergic rhinitis or controls were exposed to different temperatures and constant relative humidity in an experimental office environment. Results were obtained by means of a self-administered visual analogue scale, analyzed using mean score comparisons and principal component analysis. At 14 degrees C, the rhinitis group reported higher scores for sensations of air dryness than controls. At 18 degrees C, in the rhinitis group, there was a correlation between dry, stagnant air, and difficult mental concentration. This group also correlated heat, dry air, and poor IAQ, in contrast to the control group, which correlated comfort, easy mental concentration, and freshness. At 22 degrees C, the rhinitis group correlated heat, dryness, stagnant air, and overall discomfort. This group also correlated non-dry air, freshness, and comfort, whereas the control group correlated heat, humidity, good indoor air, freshness, and comfort. This study suggests that the rhinitis group perceives indoor temperatures of 14 degrees C as dryer than controls do, and that at 18 and 22 degrees C this group positively correlates different adverse perceptions of IAQ. By means of a self-administered questionnaire in an experimental condition, the present study compares subjective patterns of indoor air perception from individuals with respiratory allergy (allergic rhinitis) to control individuals. It reports different patterns of perception of indoor air quality (IAQ) between the two groups, suggesting that allergic individuals could have different IAQ perception.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. gustavog@usp.br
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Graudenz
authors.forename: M R D O
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Latorre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tribess
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kalil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013696:Temperature; D017132:Workplace
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D002245:Carbon Dioxide