The affecting factors and prevalence rate of sick building syndrome in healthcare workers

Abstract

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is defined as symptoms that occur while living or working in a certain building but disappear after moving away from the environment. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of indoor air pollutants on the health of employees, the prevalence of SBS in healthcare workers at the university hospital, its relationship with environmental and personal factors and the respiratory system. A questionnaire was applied to 951 healthcare workers who agreed to participate in the study. Having at least one general, one mucosal and one skin symptom every week in the last 3 months was accepted as SBS. Temperature, CO and CO2 levels and relative humidity were measured in different areas of the hospital. The prevalence of SBS was 62.1%. There was a statistically significant relationship between SBS and having a chronic disease (p<0.0001), continuous drug use (p=0.005) and the evaluation of the environment as warm (p=0.042). Having a chronic disease (OR=0.426; 95% CI, 0.228–0.797), the environment often being too warm (OR 0.218; 95% CI, 0.084–0.567) or occasionally too bright (OR=0.300; 95% CI, 0.158–0571) and diagnosed by a doctor due to symptoms (OR=3.209; 95% CI, 1.529–6.731) was found to be significant in forward variable selection method and binary logistic regression analysis. In our study, a relationship was found between physical factors such as temperature, humidity and CO2 level of the environment and personal factors such as stress, chronic disease and SBS. SBS can be prevented by control at the source as well as by administrative and engineering interventions among the employees.