Sick building syndrome and associated risk factors among the population of Gondar town, northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

BackgroundSick building syndrome (SBS) consists of a group of mucosal, skin, and general symptoms temporally related to residential and office buildings of unclear causes. These symptoms are common in the general population. However, SBS symptoms and their contributing factors are poorly understood, and the community associates it with bad sprits. This community-based cross-sectional study was, therefore, conducted to assess the prevalence and associated factors of SBS in Gondar town.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2017. A total of 3405 study subjects were included using multistage and systematic random sampling techniques. A structured questionnaire and observational checklists were used to collect data. SBS was assessed by 24 building-related symptoms and confirmed by five SBS confirmation criteria. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with SBS on the basis of adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and p < 0.05. The Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of fit test was used to check model fitness, and variance inflation factor (VIF) was also used to test interactions between variables.ResultsThe prevalence of SBS in Gondar town was 21.7% (95% CI = 20.3–23.0%). Of this, the mucosal symptoms account for 64%, the general symptoms account for 54%, and the skin symptoms account for 10%. From study participants who reported SBS symptoms, 44% had more than one symptom. Headache (15.7%), asthma (8.3%), rhinitis (8.0%), and dizziness (7.5%) were the commonest reported symptoms. SBS was significantly associated with fungal growth in the building [AOR = 1.25, 95% CI = (1.05, 1.49)], unclean building [AOR = 1.26, 95% CI = (1.03, 1.55)], houses with no functional windows [AOR = 1.35, 95% CI = (1.12, 1.63)], houses with no fan [AOR = 1.90, 95% CI = (1.22, 2.96)], utilization of charcoal as a cooking energy source [AOR = 1.40, 95% CI = (1.02, 1.91)], cooking inside the living quarters [AOR = 1.31, 95% CI = (1.09, 1.58)], and incensing and joss stick use [AOR = 1.48, 95% CI = (1.23, 1.77)].ConclusionThe prevalence of SBS in Gondar town was high, and significant proportion of the population had more than one SBS symptom. Headache, asthma, rhinitis, and dizziness were the commonest reported SBS symptoms. Fungal growth, cleanliness of the building, availability of functional windows, availability of fan in the living quarters, using charcoal as a cooking energy source, cooking inside the quarters, and incensing habit or joss stick use were identified as factors associated with SBS. Improving the sanitation of the living environment and housekeeping practices of the occupants is useful to minimize the prevalence of SBS.

Community’s perceived high risk of coronavirus infections during early phase of epidemics are significantly influenced by socio-demographic background, in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional -study

“…The city is located in the state of Amhara, 750 km far from the North West of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. Gondar had 22 Kebeles, with an estimated 360,600 population [ 22 ]. At the time of this study, 51,304 households were registered.…”

Prevalence and risk factors of pre-sick building syndrome: characteristics of indoor environmental and individual factors

“…Till date, many studies have been globally conducted to investigate indoor chemical substances and their influence on health to prevent "sick building syndrome (SBS);" the symptoms of "SBS" include mucosal irritation and allergylike symptoms and are linked to spending time in a specific building [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. In Japan, restrictions have been placed on the concentration of certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and total volatile organic compounds generated by implementing values in the indoor concentration guideline by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and by the revisions of the building-standard laws by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport [12,13].…”

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