INDIVIDUAL AND OCCUPATIONAL CORRELATES OF THE SICK BUILDING SYNDROME

Results of a questionnaire survey of 939 workers from 5 air-conditione d offices where smoking was prohibited are reported. Levels of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, respirable particulates, and t emperature, relative humidity, and illuminance were measured in these buildings, but these did not correlate with symptom reports. The numbe r of sick building syndrome symptoms per worker was related linearly t o perceived indoor air quality, job stress, job satisfaction, allergie s, eyewear, and seasonal affective disorder. Two hundred and fifty Fiv e of these workers also completed a battery of psychological measures. Measures of depression, personality variables, situational stress, vu lnerability to stress, and individual differences in circadian rhythms did not correlate with the numbers of sick building syndrome symptoms per worker, although depression did correlate with the number of symp toms when these were weighted for their frequency of occurrence tit th e preview month. Job stress and perceptions of indoor air quality corr elated with both the unweighted and weighted indices of sick building syndrome.