Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessing associations between indoor environment and health symptoms in Romanian school children: an analysis of data from the SINPHONIE project

  • Short Research and Discussion Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

School environment may have an impact on children’s health, but few studies have focused on indoor comfort factors such as temperature, humidity, and noise in relation with potential effects on children’s health. Our cross-sectional study used data from the European Schools Indoor Pollution and Health Observatory Network in Europe (SINPHONIE) project to assess children’s allergy, asthma-like symptoms, and flu-like symptoms in relation with classroom comfort and environmental factors. The study used self-reported data from three questionnaires to identify classroom conditions and student health outcomes for 280 students. We used backwards variable selection and unconditional logistic regression to assess the outcome-environment relationship while controlling for demographics, family history of allergy, and home exposures. We found increased risks for allergy and flu-like symptoms associated with hot classrooms in the heating season, increased risks for asthma-like symptoms associated with noisy classrooms, and a protective effect for allergy associated with good outdoor air quality. Romanian classrooms rely on natural ventilation, which may contribute to increased temperature and humidity in the heating season. Further research warrants the use of SINPHONIE’s measurement data to validate our findings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Asher MI, Montefort S, Björkstén B, Lai CK, Strachan DP, Weiland SK, Williams H (2006) Worldwide time trends in the prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema in childhood: ISAAC phases one and three repeat multicountry cross-sectional surveys. Lancet 368:733–743. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69283-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bearer CF (1995) Environmental health hazards: how children are different from adults. Futur Child 5:11–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bockelbrink A, Willich SN, Dirzus I, Reich A, Lau S, Wahn U, Keil T (2008) Environmental noise and asthma in children: sex-specific differences. J Asthma 45:770–773. https://doi.org/10.1080/02770900802252127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chatzidiakou L, Mumovic D, Summerfield AJ (2012) What do we know about indoor air quality in school classrooms? A critical review of the literature. Intell Build Int 4:228–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corgnati SP, Filippi M, Viazzo S (2007) Perception of the thermal environment in high school and university classrooms: subjective preferences and thermal comfort. Build Environ 42:951–959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2005.10.027

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Csobod É, Annesi-Maesano I, Carrer P, Kephalopoulos S, Madureira J, Rudnai P, Fernandes E de O, Barrero-Moreno J, Beregszászi T, Hyvärinen A, Moshammer H, Norback D, Páldy A, Pándics T, Sestini P, Stranger M, Täubel M, Varró MJ, Gabriela-Ventura E, Viegi G (2014) SINPHONIE – Schools Indoor Pollution and Health Observatory Network in Europe - Final Report

  • Gao J, Wargocki P, Wang Y (2014a) Ventilation system type and the resulting classroom temperature and air quality during heating season. Lect Notes Electr Eng 261:203–25l. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39584-0_23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao J, Wargocki P, Wang Y (2014b) Ventilation system type, classroom environmental quality and pupils’ perceptions and symptoms. Build Environ 75:46–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2014.01.015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ising H, Ising M (2002) Chronic cortisol increases in the first half of the night caused by road traffic noise. Noise Health 4:13–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Ising H, Lange-Asschenfeldt H, Lieber G-F, Moriske H-J, Weinhold H (2004) Exposure to traffic-related air pollution and noise and the development of respiratory diseases in children. J Child Health 2:145–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/15417060490906477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kephalopoulos S, Csobod E, Bruinen de Bruin Y, de Oliveira Fernandes E, Carrer P, Mandin C, Stranger M, Annesi-Maesano I, Giacomini M, Koudijs E, ..., Kazmarová H, Jajcaj M, Vasiliki Assimakopoulos HS, Bartzis J, Assimakopoulos, MN, Gurzau ES, Kalimeri K, Neamtiu I, Van den Hazel P, Montefort S, Hadjipanayis A, Cani E (2014) Technical Report: Guidelines for healthy environments within European schools. https://doi.org/10.2788/89936

  • Kielb C, Lin S, Muscatiello N, Hord W, Rogers-Harrington J, Healy J (2015) Building-related health symptoms and classroom indoor air quality: a survey of school teachers in New York state. Indoor Air 25:371–380. https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12154

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Landrigan PJ, Suk WA, Amler RW (1999) Chemical wastes, children’s health, and the superfund basic research program. Environ Health Perspect 107:423–427. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.99107423

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lercher P, Evans GW, Meis M, Kofler WW (2002) Ambient neighbourhood noise and children’s mental health. Occup Environ Med 59:380–386. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.59.6.380

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin S, Kielb CL, Reddy AL, Chapman BR, Hwang S-A (2012) Comparison of indoor air quality management strategies between the school and district levels in New York state. J Sch Health 82:139–146. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00677.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linares C, Díaz J, Tobías A, de Miguel JM, Otero A (2006) Impact of urban air pollutants and noise levels over daily hospital admissions in children in Madrid: a time series analysis. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 79:143–152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-005-0032-0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meklin T, Husman T, Vepsäläinen A, Vahteristo M, Koivisto J, Halla-Aho J, Hyvärinen A, Moschandreas D, Nevalainen A (2002) Indoor air microbes and respiratory symptoms of children in moisture damaged and reference schools. Indoor Air 12:175–183

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mendell MJ, Heath GA (2005) Do indoor pollutants and thermal conditions in schools influence student performance? A critical review of the literature. Indoor Air 15:27–52. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0668.2004.00320.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mi Y-H, Norbäck D, Tao J, Mi Y-L, Ferm M (2006) Current asthma and respiratory symptoms among pupils in shanghai, China: influence of building ventilation, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and formaldehyde in classrooms. Indoor Air 16:454–464. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0668.2006.00439.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Norbäck D, Nordström K (2008) Sick building syndrome in relation to air exchange rate, CO2, room temperature and relative air humidity in university computer classrooms: an experimental study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 82:21–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norbäck D, Smedje G (1997) Aerosols, subjective indoor air quality and asthma in schools. Ann Occup Hyg 41:689–694

    Google Scholar 

  • Oluwole O, Kirychuk SP, Lawson JA, Karunanayake C, Cockcroft DW, Willson PJ, Senthilselvan A, Rennie DC (2016) Indoor mold levels and current asthma among school-aged children in Saskatchewan, Canada. Indoor Air 27:311–319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reinikainen LM, Jaakkola JJK (2003) Significance of humidity and temperature on skin and upper airway symptoms. Indoor Air 13:344–352. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0668.2003.00155.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rufo JC, Madureira J, Paciência I, Aguiar L, Teixeira JP, Moreira A, Fernandes EDO (2016) Indoor air quality and atopic sensitization in primary schools: a follow-up study. Porto. Biom J 1:142–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbj.2016.07.003

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharpe RA, Bearman N, Thornton CR, Husk K, Osborne NJ (2015) Indoor fungal diversity and asthma: a meta-analysis and systematic review of risk factors. J Allergy Clin Immunol 135:110–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2014.07.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stark PC, Burge HA, Ryan LM, Milton DK, Gold DR (2003) Fungal levels in the home and lower respiratory tract illnesses in the first year of life. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 168:232–237. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200207-730OC

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toyinbo O, Matilainen M, Turunen M, Putus T, Shaughnessy R, Haverinen-Shaughnessy U (2016) Modeling associations between principals’ reported indoor environmental quality and students’ self-reported respiratory health outcomes using GLMM and ZIP models. Int J Environ Res Public Health 13:385. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13040385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turunen M, Toyinbo O, Putus T, Nevalainen A, Shaughnessy R, Haverinen-Shaughnessy U (2014) Indoor environmental quality in school buildings, and the health and wellbeing of students. Int J Hyg Environ Health 217:733–739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2014.03.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • US EPA (2009) Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools. Reference Guide. United States Environ. Prot. Agency. Available from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED511665.pdf. Accessed 29 Sept 2017

  • Van Kamp I, Davies H (2013) Noise and health in vulnerable groups : a review. Noise Health 15:153–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by SINPHONIE (Schools Indoor Pollution and Health–Observatory Network in Europe) project carried out under contract for the European Commission (contract SANCO/2009/c4/04) and funded by the European Parliament. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders. The funders played no role in the study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit this article for publication.

We would like to thank the participants, whose generous time and effort made this study possible.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, USA

    Jillian R. Palumbo, Shao Lin, Ziqiang Lin & Wangjian Zhang

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, USA

    Shao Lin

  3. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Arts and Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA

    Ziqiang Lin

  4. Environmental Health Center, 58 Busuiocului Street, 400240, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Iulia A. Neamtiu & Eugen S. Gurzau

  5. Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, 30 Fantanele Street, Cluj- Napoca, Romania

    Iulia A. Neamtiu & Eugen S. Gurzau

  6. Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), 9-11 Ady Endre ut, Szentendre, 2000, Hungary

    Eva Csobod

  7. Cluj School of Public Health-College of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, 7 Pandurilor Street, Universitas Building, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Eugen S. Gurzau

Authors
  1. Jillian R. Palumbo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shao Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ziqiang Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Iulia A. Neamtiu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Wangjian Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Eva Csobod
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Eugen S. Gurzau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Iulia A. Neamtiu.

Ethics declarations

All participants provided written informed consent prior to study participation. In case of children, the informed consent was given by their parents.

Funding

This work was supported by SINPHONIE (Schools Indoor Pollution and Health–Observatory Network in Europe) project carried out under contract for the European Commission (contract SANCO/2009/c4/04) and funded by the European Parliament. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders. The funders played no role in the study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit this article for publication.

Conflict of interest

The authors report no other conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Palumbo, J.R., Lin, S., Lin, Z. et al. Assessing associations between indoor environment and health symptoms in Romanian school children: an analysis of data from the SINPHONIE project. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 9186–9193 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1568-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1568-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation