A1 Journal article (refereed)
Students’ school‐level symptoms mediate the relationship between a school’s observed moisture problems and students’ subjective perceptions of indoor air quality (2021)


Finell, E., Tolvanen, A., Ikonen, R., Pekkanen, J., & Ståhl, T. (2021). Students’ school‐level symptoms mediate the relationship between a school’s observed moisture problems and students’ subjective perceptions of indoor air quality. Indoor Air, 31(1), 40-50. https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12711


JYU authors or editors


Publication details

All authors or editors: Finell, Eerika; Tolvanen, Asko; Ikonen, Riikka; Pekkanen, Juha; Ståhl, Timo

Journal or series: Indoor Air

ISSN: 0905-6947

eISSN: 1600-0668

Publication year: 2021

Publication date: 03/07/2020

Volume: 31

Issue number: 1

Pages range: 40-50

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12711

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/71095


Abstract

Moisture damage can influence the subjective assessment of indoor air quality (subjective IAQ) in various ways. We studied whether the frequency of symptoms reported across students at school level mediates the relationship between observed mold and dampness in a school building and students’ subjective IAQ. To answer this research question, we tested a multilevel path model.

The analyzed data was created by merging two nationwide data sets: 1) survey data from students, including information on subjective IAQ (N = 24,786 students); 2) data from schools, including information on mold and dampness in a school building (N = 222).

After the background variables were adjusted, schools’ observed mold and dampness was directly and significantly related to poor subjective IAQ (standardized beta (β)= 0.22, p = 0.002). In addition, in schools with mold and dampness, students reported significantly more symptoms (β = 0.22, p = 0.023) than in schools without; the higher the prevalence of symptoms at school level, the worse the students’ subjective IAQ (β = 0.60, p < 0.001). This indirect path was significant (p = 0.023). In total, schools’ observed mold and dampness and student‐reported symptoms explained 52 % of the between‐school variance in subjective IAQ.


Keywords: moisture; mould; indoor air; air quality; schools (educational institutions); sick building syndrome; school children; symptoms

Free keywords: dampness; indoor air quality; indoor environmental problems; multilevel analysis; school; symptoms


Contributing organizations


Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2021

Preliminary JUFO rating: 2


Last updated on 2022-17-06 at 11:49