Evaluating prevalence and risk factors of building-related symptoms among office workers: Seasonal characteristics of symptoms and psychosocial and physical environmental factors

Azuma, Kenichi; Ikeda, Koichi; Kagi, Naoki; Yanagi, U; Osawa, Haruki

doi:10.1186/s12199-017-0645-4

Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine

Table 8 Significant risk factors associated with weekly building-related symptoms in final model in winter (N = 3335) and summer (N = 3024)

From: Evaluating prevalence and risk factors of building-related symptoms among office workers: Seasonal characteristics of symptoms and psychosocial and physical environmental factors

Symptoms and seasons	Significant risk factors
Symptoms and seasons	Job stressor	Work environment	Indoor air quality
Eye irritation
Winter	• Excessive work • Adequate skill utilization	• Carpeting • Poor lighting • Uncomfortable seating • Often use of odorous chemicals^a	• Too cold • Too dry • Strong static electricity • Airflow from air conditioner • Dust and dirt
Summer	• Excessive work • Low physical overload	• Crowded workplace • Carpeting • Often reflection or glare in vision • Uncomfortable seating • Computer work • Often use of odorous chemicals^a	• Varying room temperature • Too dry • Noise • Tobacco smoke odor • Unpleasant other odor^b
General symptoms
Winter	• Excessive work • High mental workload • Strong interpersonal conflict • Low job suitability • Low work satisfaction	• Crowded workplace	• Too little air movement • Varying room temperature • Too cold • Too dry • Noise • Dust and dirt • Unpleasant other odor^b
Summer	• Excessive work • Strong interpersonal conflict • Low job control • Low work satisfaction	• Carpeting • Reflection or glare in vision • Uncomfortable seating	• Too little air movement • Too cold • Too humid • Noise • Unpleasant other odor^b
Upper respiratory
Winter	• Strong interpersonal conflict	• Crowded workplace • Installation of bubble jet printer	• Too dry • Dust and dirt • Unpleasant other odor^b
Summer	• Excessive work	• Carpeting • Uncomfortable seating • Recent painted wall	• Too little air movement • Too dry • Noise • Dust and dirt • Unpleasant chemical odor
Skin symptoms
Winter	• Low work satisfaction		• Varying room temperature • Too dry • Noise • Airflow from air conditioner • Dust and dirt
Summer			• Too dry • Unpleasant chemical odor

^a Cleaning substance, adhesives, correction liquid, or odor products, etc
^b Body odor, food odor, or perfume, etc

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ISSN: 1347-4715

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