title: Gender, airborne chemical monitoring, and physical work environment are related to indoor air symptoms among nonindustrial workers in the Klang Valley, Malaysia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship of airborne chemicals and the physical work environment risk element on the indoor air symptoms of nonindustrial workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study consisting of 200 office workers. A random selection of 200 buildings was analyzed for exposure and indoor air symptoms based on a pilot study in the Klang Valley, Malaysia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A set of modified published questionnaires by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), Malaysia and a previous study (MM040NA questionnaire) pertaining to indoor air symptoms was used in the evaluation process of the indoor air symptoms. Statistical analyses involving logistic regression and linear regression were used to determine the relationship between exposure and indoor air symptoms for use in the development of an indoor risk matrix.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicate that some indoor air pollutants (carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, total volatile organic compound, and dust) are related to indoor air symptoms of men and women. Temperature and relative humidity showed a positive association with complaints related to the perceived indoor environmental condition (drafts and inconsistency of temperature). Men predominantly reported general symptoms when stratification of gender involved exposure to formaldehyde. Women reported high levels of complaints related to mucosal and general symptoms from exposure to the dust level indoors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to pollutants (total volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde) and physical stressors (air temperature and relative humidity) influence reported symptoms of office workers. These parameters should be focused upon and graded as one of the important elements in the grading procedure when qualitatively evaluating the indoor environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia;
authors.forename: Aizat Ismail
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Syazwan
authors.forename: Juahir
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hafizan
authors.forename: Mohd Rafee
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Baharudin
authors.forename: Ahmad Zaid Fattah
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Azman
authors.forename: Zulkapri
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Izwyn
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zulfadhli
authors.forename: Katis
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Syahidatussyakirah
keywords: allergy; asthma; environmental climate factor; occupational exposure; regression analysis; sick building syndrome (SBS)