Structural equation analysis of the causal relationship between health and perceived indoor environment.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the temporal relationship and reversed effects between health and perception of the indoor environment using structural equation models.


METHODS
The study was a two-phase prospective questionnaire study with a cross-lagged design. Altogether 1,740 adults participated on both occasions.


RESULTS
The perceived indoor environment had only weak effects on health at follow-up. However, the results strongly indicated a reversed effect that health problems may lead to increased complaints about the indoor environment.


CONCLUSIONS
Structural equation models are powerful analytical tools for disentangling the effects of a specific variable on another in high dimensional data with complex patterns of associations. The analyses confirmed the results of our previous logistic regression analysis about the strong reversed effect. Hence, it is probable that a reversed effect between health and complaints about the indoor environment exists.
Brauer
Charlotte
C
Department of Occupational Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark. chabra01@glo.regionh.dk
Budtz-Jørgensen
Esben
E
Mikkelsen
Sigurd
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018877:Sick Building Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational