title: Gender differences in public office workers' satisfaction, subjective symptoms and musculoskeletal complaints in workplace and office environments.
abstract: This study investigates differences between male and female public office workers' satisfaction levels, sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms and musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) complaints in workplace and office environments. Questionnaire surveys were performed in 30 offices from 15 public institutions. Male and female workers of the same age were coupled and selected from each office, gathering a total of 120 male and 120 female subjects. The results show that differences exist between genders in noise and lighting satisfaction levels, SBS-related symptoms (eye, nose, skin) and MSD complaints of hand/wrist/finger, while there is no difference in overall satisfaction level of office environments. The study also suggests that office design for public office workers should take into account gender differences in preventing MSDs and also SBS. The findings of this study are expected to serve as basic data for designing effective public office environments.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Industrial and Management Engineering , Hansung University , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sangbok
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: a Department of Industrial and Management Engineering , Hansung University , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Myoung Hwan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: a Department of Industrial and Management Engineering , Hansung University , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Yong
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6837-1324
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Jeong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008029:Lighting; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D017150:Public Sector; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D018877:Sick Building Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace
keywords: gender difference; indoor environmental quality; musculoskeletal disorders; office worker; sick building syndrome