This study explores subjective injustice experiences of individuals suffering from suspected or observed indoor air problems in their workplaces in two studies. We focus on injustice experiences because they influence how individuals cope with and recover from health problems. The first study reports associations between the perceived harmfulness of the indoor environment (ie, mold/inadequate ventilation) and subjective injustice experiences in workplaces in a representative sample of Finnish working-aged people (N = 4633). Altogether, 37% of the respondents perceived their workplaces' indoor environments to be harmful. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the risks of reporting subjective injustice experiences (eg, information, attitudes, and remuneration) were significantly higher for those reporting harmful indoor environments compared to those who reported no such problems (OR 1.28-1.95 for different situations). The second study explored injustice experiences more closely by qualitatively analyzing the content of 23 essays. These essays were written by people who suffered from suspected or observed indoor air problems in their workplaces. The respondents reported multidimensional experiences of injustice, which related to conflicts, and moral exclusions. Awareness of these psychosocial effects is important for the prevention of unnecessary escalation of psychosocial problems in workplaces with observed and suspected indoor air problems.
K E Y W O R D Sindoor air quality, injustice, lived experience, logistic regression, occupational health, qualitative methods
| INTRODUCTIONIndoor mold, dampness, and chemicals pose serious risks to individuals' health and well-being in workplaces.1,2 For example, mold was the most important factor in suspected and diagnosed occupational asthma cases in Finland in 2013.3 Besides asthma, poor indoor air quality is associated with other respiratory and allergic effects, such as respiratory infections, bronchitis, and allergic rhinitis.
4Despite this growing evidence, the effect of poor indoor air quality on health remains contested, especially with respect to non-specific symptoms (eg, headaches, fatigue, skin and eye irritation), 5 which are known to be associated not just with the indoor environment but with psychological and social factors, such as low social support and low control over work. 6 This paper posits that the contested nature of these health effects may lead employees attributing such health problems to the built environment in an insecure position. This can make them prone to evaluating decisions, practices, and treatment from the perspective of (in)justice. justice focuses on the adequacy of explanations and the truthfulness of information offered during the decision-making process (eg, justifications for the decision are offered).
12We examine two studies that explore subjective experiences of In the occupational medicine literature, qualitative methods have been highly recommended when a researcher is seeking to capture the meanin...