MEASURING CHEMICAL-SENSITIVITY PREVALENCE - A QUESTIONNAIRE FOR POPULATION STUDIES

Because no information exists on the prevalence of chemical sensitivit y syndromes such as multiple chemical sensitivities, a questionnaire f or use in population studies was developed and tested to assess the pr esence or absence of chemical sensitivity. Seven hundred five individu als attending clinics answered a questionnaire asking whether each of 122 common substances caused symptoms. Results showed that patients wi th multiple chemical sensitivities and asthma had average total scores that were significantly different from each other and from those of e ach of the other diagnostic categories. Higher total scores were also reported by female patients. The instrument described here may facilit ate meaningful prevalence studies of multiple-chemical sensitivities. It will also allow study of chemically induced symptoms in other condi tions such as asthma.