Psychosocial factors and indoor environmental quality in respiratory symptom reports of pupils: a cross-sectional study in Finnish schools
Objectives Poor indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in schools is related to higher respiratory symptoms of pupils, but little is known about the importance of other factors. This study examined the associations between different psychosocial factors and other pupils’ individual and allergic characte...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2020-09-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/9/e036873.full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841553966248230912 |
|---|---|
| author | Juha Pekkanen Kateryna Savelieva Marko Elovainio Jussi Lampi Sari Ung-Lanki |
| author_facet | Juha Pekkanen Kateryna Savelieva Marko Elovainio Jussi Lampi Sari Ung-Lanki |
| author_sort | Juha Pekkanen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives Poor indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in schools is related to higher respiratory symptoms of pupils, but little is known about the importance of other factors. This study examined the associations between different psychosocial factors and other pupils’ individual and allergic characteristics, beyond school IEQ, and reporting of respiratory symptoms in pupil-administered and parent-administered questionnaires.Setting All primary and secondary schools in two areas of Helsinki, Finland.Participants Primary school pupils (grade 3–6, n=8775, 99 school buildings) and secondary school pupils (grade 7–9, n=3410, 30 school buildings) reported their respiratory symptoms, as well as psychosocial factors and individual characteristics. Parents of primary school pupils (grade 1–6, n=3540, 88 school buildings) also filled in questionnaires, but the response rate was low (20% in 2017 and 13% in 2018).Main outcome measure Respiratory symptoms were reported in relation to the school environment and in general (without such relation) by pupils or parents.Results Worry about IEQ and low school satisfaction, and asthma and hay fever were related to higher reporting of respiratory symptoms in three samples. The variance between schools in respiratory symptoms was low (intraclass correlation=0.6%–2.4%). Psychosocial factors, especially worry about school’s IEQ, explained more of the variance between schools in symptoms than IEQ among secondary school pupils and parents, but not among primary school pupils for symptoms in general. Worry about IEQ also modified the associations between IEQ and respiratory symptoms, but only in parental reports.Conclusion In addition to IEQ, psychosocial factors and pupils’ individual and allergic characteristics were related to higher reporting of respiratory symptoms in all three samples. Psychosocial factors explained more variance between schools than IEQ, although it was 2.4% at most. Other factors beyond IEQ should be considered when interpreting symptom reporting in indoor air questionnaires. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6fd52563bb174340bdb538b1fa2a33cb |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-6fd52563bb174340bdb538b1fa2a33cb2025-01-09T05:30:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552020-09-0110910.1136/bmjopen-2020-036873Psychosocial factors and indoor environmental quality in respiratory symptom reports of pupils: a cross-sectional study in Finnish schoolsJuha Pekkanen0Kateryna Savelieva1Marko Elovainio2Jussi Lampi3Sari Ung-Lanki4Department of Public Health and Inflammation Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland1 Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Health Security, Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Pohjois-Savo, FinlandDepartment of Health Security, Environmental Health Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Pohjois-Savo, FinlandObjectives Poor indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in schools is related to higher respiratory symptoms of pupils, but little is known about the importance of other factors. This study examined the associations between different psychosocial factors and other pupils’ individual and allergic characteristics, beyond school IEQ, and reporting of respiratory symptoms in pupil-administered and parent-administered questionnaires.Setting All primary and secondary schools in two areas of Helsinki, Finland.Participants Primary school pupils (grade 3–6, n=8775, 99 school buildings) and secondary school pupils (grade 7–9, n=3410, 30 school buildings) reported their respiratory symptoms, as well as psychosocial factors and individual characteristics. Parents of primary school pupils (grade 1–6, n=3540, 88 school buildings) also filled in questionnaires, but the response rate was low (20% in 2017 and 13% in 2018).Main outcome measure Respiratory symptoms were reported in relation to the school environment and in general (without such relation) by pupils or parents.Results Worry about IEQ and low school satisfaction, and asthma and hay fever were related to higher reporting of respiratory symptoms in three samples. The variance between schools in respiratory symptoms was low (intraclass correlation=0.6%–2.4%). Psychosocial factors, especially worry about school’s IEQ, explained more of the variance between schools in symptoms than IEQ among secondary school pupils and parents, but not among primary school pupils for symptoms in general. Worry about IEQ also modified the associations between IEQ and respiratory symptoms, but only in parental reports.Conclusion In addition to IEQ, psychosocial factors and pupils’ individual and allergic characteristics were related to higher reporting of respiratory symptoms in all three samples. Psychosocial factors explained more variance between schools than IEQ, although it was 2.4% at most. Other factors beyond IEQ should be considered when interpreting symptom reporting in indoor air questionnaires.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/9/e036873.full |
| spellingShingle | Juha Pekkanen Kateryna Savelieva Marko Elovainio Jussi Lampi Sari Ung-Lanki Psychosocial factors and indoor environmental quality in respiratory symptom reports of pupils: a cross-sectional study in Finnish schools BMJ Open |
| title | Psychosocial factors and indoor environmental quality in respiratory symptom reports of pupils: a cross-sectional study in Finnish schools |
| title_full | Psychosocial factors and indoor environmental quality in respiratory symptom reports of pupils: a cross-sectional study in Finnish schools |
| title_fullStr | Psychosocial factors and indoor environmental quality in respiratory symptom reports of pupils: a cross-sectional study in Finnish schools |
| title_full_unstemmed | Psychosocial factors and indoor environmental quality in respiratory symptom reports of pupils: a cross-sectional study in Finnish schools |
| title_short | Psychosocial factors and indoor environmental quality in respiratory symptom reports of pupils: a cross-sectional study in Finnish schools |
| title_sort | psychosocial factors and indoor environmental quality in respiratory symptom reports of pupils a cross sectional study in finnish schools |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/9/e036873.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT juhapekkanen psychosocialfactorsandindoorenvironmentalqualityinrespiratorysymptomreportsofpupilsacrosssectionalstudyinfinnishschools AT katerynasavelieva psychosocialfactorsandindoorenvironmentalqualityinrespiratorysymptomreportsofpupilsacrosssectionalstudyinfinnishschools AT markoelovainio psychosocialfactorsandindoorenvironmentalqualityinrespiratorysymptomreportsofpupilsacrosssectionalstudyinfinnishschools AT jussilampi psychosocialfactorsandindoorenvironmentalqualityinrespiratorysymptomreportsofpupilsacrosssectionalstudyinfinnishschools AT sariunglanki psychosocialfactorsandindoorenvironmentalqualityinrespiratorysymptomreportsofpupilsacrosssectionalstudyinfinnishschools |