Top

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

Published in:

01-11-2013 | Original Article

Sick building syndrome (SBS) and sick house syndrome (SHS) in relation to psychosocial stress at work in the Swedish workforce

Authors: Roma Runeson-Broberg, Dan Norbäck

Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Issue 8/2013

Abstract

Purpose

Medical symptoms called sick building syndrome (SBS) and sick house syndrome (SHS) are usually investigated separately: in this study, SBS and SHS were explored simultaneously. The significance of personal factors, perceptions of air quality, and psychosocial work situation in explaining SBS and SHS were investigated.

Methods

A random sample of 1,000 subjects (20–65 year) received a postal questionnaire including questions on personal factors, medical symptoms, and the psychosocial demand-control-support model. The response rate was 70 % (n = 695), of which 532 were occupationally active.

Results

In logistic regression models, atopy, poor air quality at work, and low social support, especially low supervisor support, were associated with both SBS and SHS when age, gender, smoking, and BMI were introduced. The general work-related symptoms (headache, tiredness, nausea, and sensation of a cold) were also related to low control over work.

Conclusions

The perception of poor physical environmental conditions is associated with common medical symptoms that are both work and home related. The associations between medical symptoms and poor air quality are still present, even when controlling for the psychosocial environment.

Ahlberg-Hulten GK, Theorell T, Sigala F (1995) Social support, job strain and musculoskeletal pain among female health care personnel. Scand J Work Environ Health 21:435–439CrossRef

Apter A, Bracker A, Hodgson M, Sidman J, Leung WY (1994) Epidemiology of the sick building syndrome. J Allergy Clin Immunol 94:277–288CrossRef

Bakke JV, Moen BE, Wieslander G, Norbäck D (2007) Gender and the physical and the psychosocial work environments are related to indoor air symptoms. J Occup Environ Med 49:641–650CrossRef

Boxer PA (1990) Indoor air quality: a psychosocial perspective. JOM 32:425–428CrossRef

Brasche S, Bullinger M, Morfeld M, Gebhardt HJ, Bischof W (2001) Why do women suffer from sick building syndrome more often than men? Subjective higher sensitivity versus objective causes. Indoor Air 11:217–222CrossRef

Brauer C, Mikkelsen S (2010) The influence of individual and contextual psychosocial work factors on the perception of the indoor environment at work: a multilevel analysis. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 83:639–651CrossRef

Brauer C, Kolstad H, Mikkelsen POS (2006) The sick building syndrome: a chicken and egg situation? Int Arch Occup Environ Health 79:465–471CrossRef

Crawford JO, Bolas SM (1996) Sick building syndrome, work factors and occupational stress. Scand J Work Environ Health 22:243–250CrossRef

Fanger PO (1989) The new comfort equation for indoor air quality. ASHRAE J 31:33–37

Hedge A, Buge PS, Robertson AS, Wilson S, Harris-Bass J (1989) Work-related illness in offices: a proposed model of the “sick building syndrome”. Environ Int 15:143–158CrossRef

Hodgson M (1995) The sick-building syndrome. Occup Med State Art Rev 10:167–175

Imai N, Imai Y, Kido Y (2008) Psychosocial factors that aggravate the symptoms of sick house syndrome in Japan. Nurs Health Sci 10:101–109CrossRef

Johnson JV (1986) The impact of workplace social support, job demands and work control upon cardiovascular disease in Sweden. PhD diss., John Hopkins University; Report no. 1-86, Stockholm, Sweden. Distributed by Department of Psychology, University of Stockholm

Karasek RA, Theorell T (1990) Healthy work: stress, productivity, and the reconstruction of working life. Basic Books, Inc., New York, USA

Krantz G, Ostergren PO (2000) Common symptoms in middle aged women: their relation to employment status, psychosocial work conditions and social support in a Swedish setting. J Epidemiol Community Health 3:192–199CrossRef

Landsbergis P, Theorell T (2000) Measurements of psychosocial workplace exposure variables. Self-report questionnaires. Occup Med 15:163–171

Marmot AF, Eley J, Stafford M, Stansfeld SA, Warwick E, Marmot MG (2006) Building health: an epidemiological study of “sick building syndrome” in the Whitehall II study. Occup Environ Med 63:283–289CrossRef

Nakayama K, Morimoto K (2007) Relationship between, lifestyle, mold and sick building syndromes in newly built dwellings in Japan. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 20:35–43

Niven RM, Fletcher AM, Pickering CA, Faragher EB, Potter IN, Booth WB, Jones TJ, Potter PD (2000) Building sickness syndrome in healthy and unhealthy buildings: an epidemiological and environmental assessment with cluster analysis. OEM 57:627–634CrossRef

Norbäck D (1995) Subjective indoor air quality in schools—the influence of high room temperature, carpeting, fleecy wall materials and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Indoor Air 5:237–246CrossRef

Norbäck D (2009) An update on sick building syndrome. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 9:55–59CrossRef

Norbäck D, Edling C (1991) Environmental, occupational, and personal factors related to the prevalence of sick building syndrome in the general population. Br J Ind Med 48:451–468

Norbäck D, Nordström K (2008) An experimental study on effects of increased ventilation flow on students’ perception of indoor environment in computer classrooms. Indoor Air 18:293–300CrossRef

Norbäck D, Michel I, Widström J (1990) Indoor air quality and personal factors related to the sick building syndrome. Scand J Work Environ Health 16:121–128CrossRef

Norbäck D, Edling C, Wieslander G (1994) Asthma symptoms and the sick building syndrome (SBS) the significance of microorganisms in the indoor environment. In: Samson RA, Flannigan B, Flannigan ME, Verhoeff AP, Adan OCG, Hoekstra ES (eds) Health implications of fungi in indoor environments. Air quality monographs, vol 2. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 229–239

Nordström K, Norbäck D, Akselsson R (1995) Subjective indoor air quality in hospitals—the influence of building age, ventilation flow, and personal factors. Indoor Environ 4:37–44CrossRef

Rashid M, Zimring C (2008) A review of the empirical literature on the relationships between indoor environment and stress in health care and office settings. Environ Behav 40:151–190CrossRef

Runeson R, Norbäck D (2005) Associations among sick building syndrome, psychosocial factors, and personality traits. Percept Mot Skills 100:747–759CrossRef

Runeson R, Norbäck D, Stattin H (2003) Symptoms and sense of coherence: a follow-up study of personnel from workplace buildings with indoor air problems. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 76:29–38

Runeson R, Wahlstedt K, Wieslander G, Norbäck D (2006) Personal and psychosocial factors and symptoms compatible with sick building syndrome in the Swedish workforce. Indoor Air 16:445–453CrossRef

Söderfeldt B, Söderfeldt M, Jones K, O’Campo P, Muntaner C, Ohlson C-G, Warg L-E (1997) Does organization matter? A multilevel analysis of the demand-control model applied to human services. Soc Sci Med 44:527–534CrossRef

Stenberg B, Wall S (1995) Why do women report ‘‘sick building symptoms’’ more often than men? Soc Sci Med 40:491–502CrossRef

Theorell T, Perski A, Åkerstedt T, Sigala F, Ahlberg-Hulten G, Svensson J, Eneroth P (1988) Changes in job strain relation to changes in physiological state. Scand J Work Environ Health 14:189–196CrossRef

Theorell T, Ahlberg-Hulten G, Sigala F, Perski A, Söderholm M, Kallner A, Eneroth PA (1990) Psychosocial and biomedical comparison between men in six contrasting service occupations. Work Stress 4:51–63CrossRef

Theorell T, Harms-Ringdahl K, Ahlberg-Hulten G, Westin B (1991) Psychosocial job factors and symptoms from the locomotor system—a multicausal analysis. Scand J Rehabil Med 23:165–173

Theorell T, Harms-Ringdahl K, Ahlberg-Hultén G, Westin B (1993) Psychosocial job factors at work and musculoskeletal disease. Scand J Work Environ Health 19:297–312CrossRef

Wahlstedt KGI, Edling C (1997) Organizational changes at a postal sorting terminal their effects upon work satisfaction, psychosomatic complaints and sick leave. Work Stress 11:279–291CrossRef

Wargocki P, Lagercrantz L, Witterseh T, Sundell J, Wyon DP, Fanger PO (2002) Subjective perceptions, symptoms intensity and performance: a comparison of two independent studies, both changing similarly the pollution load in an office. Indoor Air 12:74–80CrossRef

Yaglou CP, Riley EC, Coggins DI (1936) Ventilation requirements. ASH&VE Trans 42:133–162

Zhang X, Zhao Z, Nordquist T, Norback D (2011) The prevalence and incidence of sick building syndrome in Chinese pupils in relation to the school environment: a two-year follow-up study. Indoor Air 21:462–471

Title: Sick building syndrome (SBS) and sick house syndrome (SHS) in relation to psychosocial stress at work in the Swedish workforce
Authors: Roma Runeson-Broberg
Dan Norbäck
Publication date: 01-11-2013
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Issue 8/2013
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-012-0827-8

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Sick building syndrome (SBS) and sick house syndrome (SHS) in relation to psychosocial stress at work in the Swedish workforce

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 8/2013

Re: Seidler A, Jänichen S, Hegewald J et al. Systematic review and quantification of respiratory cancer risk for occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium

Depressive symptoms and carotid artery intima-media thickness in police officers

Sick leave due to back pain in a cohort of young workers

Relationship between intensity of night shift work and antioxidant status in blood of nurses

High cadmium and low lead exposure of children in Japan

Bright-light effects on cognitive performance in elderly persons working simulated night shifts: psychological well-being as a mediator?