Influence of indoor climate on the sick building syndrome in an office environment

Abstract

The influence of indoor climate factors on symptoms of the sick building syndrome was investigated in Greater Copenhagen, Denmark. Altogether, 2369 office workers in 14 buildings, where indoor climate measurements were made, filled out a questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analyses of the multifactorial effects on the prevalence of work-related mucosal irritation and work-related general symptoms among the office workers showed that the concentration of macromolecular organic floor dust, the floor covering, the number of workplaces in the office, the age of the building, the type of ventilation, and two easily recognizable factors, the shelf factor and the fleece factor, were associated with the prevalence of symptoms.