Symptom definitions for SBS (sick building syndrome) in residential dwellings.
The potential risk factors for sick building syndrome (SBS) in newly built dwellings were investigated. Two different definitions for SBS were used, a narrow definition (symptoms related to home environment and continuously occurring in the last 3 months were regarded as positive) and another relatively broad definition (symptoms related to home environment and either continuously or sporadically occurring in the last 3 months were regarded as positive). With both definitions indoor air chemicals, especially TVOC, and high stress during work were found to be significantly associated with SBS symptoms. Allergic history was more associated with narrow-sense symptoms and odor perception with broad-sense symptoms. The results indicate that the broad definition be preferred to find more potential risk factors.
Wang
Bing-Ling
BL
Department of Public Health, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
Takigawa
Tomoko
T
Yamasaki
Yukie
Y
Sakano
Noriko
N
Wang
Da-Hong
DH
Ogino
Keiki
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D018877:Sick Building Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009626:Terminology as Topic