Objective
To evaluate the associations of the reporting rates of sick building syndromes (SBS) with residential indoor decoration activities and decoration materials, and to provide basic information for improvement of quality of life and control of indoor pollution.
Methods
Parents' general information, SBS symptoms, and residential building features were collected with uniformed selfcompleted questionnaires of China, Children, Homes, Health (CCHH) study which was conducted in five districts of Shanghai from 2011 to 2012. Chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression models were applied to analyze differences of reporting rates and odds ratios of SBS.
Results
According to the 12 190 valid questionnaires collected, 83.2% of the subjects reported general symptoms (such as fatigue), 69.4% appeared mucosal symptoms (such as cough), 38.7% had skin symptoms (such as dry or flushed facial skin) three months before the questionnaire survey. The reporting rates of three categories of SBS symptoms among residents who used different floor materials and wall materials were significantly different (all Ps < 0.001). Compared with other materials, the families who used lam in ate wood floor or emulsion paint had higher reporting rates of the above three categories of symptoms. After adjusting potential confounders such as gender, age, and smoking, the risks (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval) of reporting general symptoms were higher for subjects who used laminate wood floor (1.83, 1.24-2.72), hardwood floor (1.52, 1.14-2.02), and polyvinyl chloride floor (2.08, 1.06-4.10) as well as emulsion paint wall (1.46, 1.16-1.83) and paint wall (1.55, 1.18-2.04) than those who used cement floor and lime wall, respectively. The risks of the above three categories of SBS symptoms among residents who bought new furniture or decorated one year after their children's birth were notably higher than those who did not (all Ps < 0.05), and the adjusted ORs (95%CI) of general symptoms, mucosal symptoms, and skin symptoms were 150(1.28-1.75), 1.38(1.23-1.56), and 1.41(1.26-1.58) for buying new furniture, and 1.42(1.16-1.75), 1.32(1.13-1.55), and 1.24(1.07-1.43) for indoor decoration, respectively.
Conclusion
Using laminate wood floor, polyvinyl chloride floor, and emulsion paint as well as household renovation or buying new furniture one year after maternal delivery are risk factors for SBS among Shanghai residents.
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