A Systematic Review about Building Characteristics as Dampness-Related Indicators

Abstract

The consistent associations between dampness and health-related problems, such as allergies and asthma symptoms, explain the growing scientific interest in assessing housing characteristics. Due to a growing interest in the built environment, the present study performed a systematic review to investigate the prevalence of dampness related to specific building characteristics. The built environment is gaining significance in population well-being due to the substantial time spent indoors. This aspect is especially notable for specific demographics such as children and the elderly. This research is based on the PRISMA methodology and was conducted through scientific papers research published in independent peer-reviewed journals. This study’s key conclusions indicate a strong link between home characteristics and dampness-related risk predictors, such as the age of the building, the building materials, the type of ventilation systems, and other building characteristics. Maintenance and occupants’ behaviors through good ventilation practices, such as opening windows, were found to be the main remediation strategies. This research novelty involves the identification of home characteristics and dampness-related risk predictors common to a broad spectrum of studies, which makes it possible to identify measures to overcome these bottlenecks. From the constructive perspective, some characteristics, such as the age of the building, are not possible to modify; however, nowadays, technology and knowledge expertise can be used to minor building characteristics associated with health-related problems.