ArticleInternational archives of occupational and environmental health2008
Medical and social prognoses of non-specific building-related symptoms (Sick Building Syndrome): a follow-up study of patients previously referred to hospital.
Article in International archives of occupational and environmental health, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 55 citations in OpenAlex.
- Trial
- Implementing a complex innovation into workplace operations: The case of work ability support for indoor environment-associated health complaints.Work (Reading, Mass.) · 2026Article
- Work Ability and Functioning Among Individuals with Persistent Indoor Environment-Related Symptoms or Chronic Fatigue: Nine-Month Follow-Up of a Web-Based Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Skin sensitivity to capsaicin, perceived stress and burn out among patients with building-related symptoms.International archives of occupational and environmental health · 2021Article
- Association between Sick Building Syndrome and Indoor Environmental Quality in Slovenian Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Article
- Clinical Characteristics of Disability in Patients with Indoor Air-Related Environmental Intolerance.Safety and health at work · 2019Article
- Psychological symptoms and self-image of patients with complaints attributed to dental restorative materials.Clinical oral investigations · 2019Article
- Building-Related Environmental Intolerance and Associated Health in the General Population.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2018Article
- Clinical Diagnosis of the Dampness and Mold Hypersensitivity Syndrome: Review of the Literature and Suggested Diagnostic Criteria.Frontiers in immunology · 2017Review
- Asthma related to workplace dampness and impaired work ability.International archives of occupational and environmental health · 2014Article
- The environmental hypersensitivity symptom inventory: metric properties and normative data from a population-based study.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2013Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe aim of this study was to describe and analyse the medical and social prognoses of patients with non-specific building-related symptoms.
methodsA follow-up questionnaire focusing on current medical and social status, care, treatment, other actions taken and personality traits was sent to 239 patients with non-specific building-related symptoms assessed during the period between 1986 and 1998 at University Hospital in Umeå, Sweden. The response rate was 79%.
resultsFatigue, irritation of the eyes, and facial erythema were the most common weekly symptoms reported at follow-up. As females constituted 92% of the respondents, statistical analyses were restricted to women. The level and severity of symptoms decreased over time, although nearly half of the patients claimed that symptoms were more or less unchanged after 7 years or more, despite actions taken. Twenty-five percent of the patients were on the sick-list, and 20% drew disability pension due to persistent symptoms at follow-up. The risk of having no work capabilities at follow-up was significantly increased if the time from onset to first visit at the hospital clinic was more than 1 year. This risk was also significantly higher if the patient at the first visit had five or more symptoms. All risk assessments were adjusted for length of follow-up. Symptoms were often aggravated by different situations in everyday life.
conclusionsLong-lasting symptoms aggravated by environmental factors exist within this group of patients. The results support that early and comprehensive measures for rehabilitation are essential for the patients.
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