Van Dijken, F; Van Bronswijk, J E M H and Sundell, J (2006) Indoor environment and pupils' health in primary schools. Building Research & Information, 34(5), pp. 437-446. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
Dutch children are legally bound to spend 15% of their time in a school setting. The indoor environment in Dutch primary schools is known to be substandard. However, it is unclear to what extent the health of pupils is affected by the indoor school environment. The paper aims to assess the associations between indoor environmental quality in Dutch schools and pupils' health, also taking into account the children's home environment and personal factors. A cross-sectional study was performed in 11 classrooms in 11 different schools in the Netherlands. The study included exposure measurements, building inspections, and a questionnaire survey on pupils' health and domestic exposure. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and non-parametric tests were performed to assess relationships. None of the schools complied with all indoor environmental quality standards. The importance of both the school and the domestic environment to pupils' health is shown in a multivariate analysis. If both the school and the home environment are highly polluted, improving conditions at school alone may not result in improved health of the children.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building characteristics; building stock; health; indoor air quality; principal component analysis; schools |
| Index terms: | exposure, classroom, principal component analysis, indoor air quality, questionnaire, indoor environmental quality, building stock, Netherlands, pupil, children, survey, indoor environment, inspection, multivariate analysis, school environment |
| Subjects: | Geography, public and environmental health, statistical analysis, quality assurance, environmental health, demography, learning environments, sociology, asset management, construction type, data collection methods, environmental science |
| Topics: | Education, Urban Studies, Quality Management, Stakeholder Management, Sustainability, Construction Technology, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Geographical Context, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
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