Sick-building symptoms in office workers in northeastern France : a pilot study

• Published in: International archives of occupational and environmental health Vol. 71; no. 5; pp. 353 - 356
• Main Authors: TECULESCU, D. B, SAULEAU, E.-A, MASSIN, N, BOHADANA, A. B, BUHLER, O, BENAMGHAR, L, MUR, J.-M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01-07-1998
• Subjects: Absenteeism; Adult; Air; Air Conditioning; Air Pollution, Indoor; Biological and medical sciences; Environmental pollutants toxicology; Female; France - epidemiology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Pilot Projects; Prevalence; Respiratory Tract Diseases - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Diseases - etiology; Sick Building Syndrome - epidemiology; Sick Building Syndrome - etiology; Toxicology; France; Europe; Lorraine; Office; Air conditioning; Human; Family story; Employee; Etiology; Indoor pollution; Sick building syndrome; Occupational exposure; Occupational medicine
• ISSN: 0340-0131; 1432-1246
• DOI: 10.1007/s004200050292

To verify that sick building symptoms are present in north-eastern France office workers; to try to identify new confounding factors.
The design was that of a cross-sectional study with control group. We studied with the same methods the personnel of an air-conditioned building (n=425), and of a naturally ventilated building (n=351). Air temperature and humidity, bacterial and fungal densities were measured by the same technical staff in the two buildings. A standard questionnaire on irritative and respiratory symptoms, personal and family history, and lifestyle was completed by the participants.
In univariate analysis, exposure to air-conditioning was associated with an increased prevalence of symptoms (odds ratios-OR-between 1.54 and 2.84). A significant increase in sickness absence was also found among subjects working in air-conditioned offices. As a series of factors were suspected to interfere with these associations, logistic regression was applied. This method confirmed exposure to be an independent determinant of 7 symptoms, and also identified two determinants not previously described: a family history of respiratory diseases and "do-it-yourself' activities.
we found the sick building symptoms to be present in a group of French office workers exposed to air-conditioning. We confirmed the influence of a number of confounding factors and described two further confounders - do-it-yourself activities at home and a history of familial respiratory disease.