Sick building syndrome and associated risk factors among the population of Gondar town, northwest Ethiopia

Background: Sick building syndrome (SBS) consists of a group of mucosal, skin, and general symptoms temporally related to residential and office buildings of unclear causes. These symptoms are common in the general population. However, SBS symptoms and their contributing factors are poorly understood, and the community associates it with bad sprits. This community-based cross-sectional study was, therefore, conducted to assess the prevalence and associated factors of SBS in Gondar town.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2017. A total of 3405 study subjects were included using multistage and systematic random sampling techniques. A structured questionnaire and observational checklists were used to collect data. SBS was assessed by 24 building-related symptoms and confirmed by five SBS confirmation criteria. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with SBS on the basis of adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and p < 0.05. The Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of fit test was used to check model fitness, and variance inflation factor (VIF) was also used to test interactions between variables.

Results: The prevalence of SBS in Gondar town was 21.7% (95% CI = 20.3-23.0%). Of this, the mucosal symptoms account for 64%, the general symptoms account for 54%, and the skin symptoms account for 10%. From study participants who reported SBS symptoms, 44% had more than one symptom. Headache (15.7%), asthma (8.3%), rhinitis (8.0%), and dizziness (7.5%) were the commonest reported symptoms. SBS was significantly associated with fungal growth in the building [AOR = 1.25, 95% CI = (1.05, 1.49)], unclean building [AOR = 1.26, 95% CI = (1.03, 1.55)], houses with no functional windows [AOR = 1.35, 95% CI = (1.12, 1.63)], houses with no fan [AOR = 1.90, 95% CI = (1.22, 2.96)], utilization of charcoal as a cooking energy source [AOR = 1.40, 95% CI = (1.02, 1.91)], cooking inside the living quarters [AOR = 1.31, 95% CI = (1.09, 1.58)], and incensing and joss stick use [AOR = 1.48, 95% CI = (1.23, 1.77)].

Conclusion: The prevalence of SBS in Gondar town was high, and significant proportion of the population had more than one SBS symptom. Headache, asthma, rhinitis, and dizziness were the commonest reported SBS symptoms. Fungal growth, cleanliness of the building, availability of functional windows, availability of fan in the living quarters, using charcoal as a cooking energy source, cooking inside the quarters, and incensing habit or joss stick use were identified as factors associated with SBS. Improving the sanitation of the living environment and housekeeping practices of the occupants is useful to minimize the prevalence of SBS.