[New Scientific Evidence-based Public Health Guidelines and Practical Manual for Prevention of Sick House Syndrome].
Nihon Eiseigaku Zasshi
; 73(2): 116-129, 2018.
Article
in Ja
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29848862
Recently, we have published a book containing evidence-based public health guidelines and a practical manual for the prevention of sick house syndrome. The manual is available through the homepage of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (http://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/06-Seisakujouhou-11130500-Shokuhinanzenbu/0000155147.pdf). It is an almost completely revised version of the 2009 version. The coauthors are 13 specialists in environmental epidemiology, exposure sciences, architecture, and risk communication. Since the 1970s, health problems caused by indoor chemicals, biological pollution, poor temperature control, humidity, and others in office buildings have been recognized as sick building syndrome (SBS) in Western countries, but in Japan it was not until the 1990s that people living in new or renovated homes started to describe a variety of nonspecific subjective symptoms such as eye, nose, and throat irritation, headache, and general fatigue. These symptoms resembled SBS and were designated "sick house syndrome (SHS)." To determine the strategy for prevention of SHS, we conducted a nationwide epidemiological study in six cities from 2003-2013 by randomly sampling 5,709 newly built houses. As a result 1,479 residents in 425 households agreed to environmental monitoring for indoor aldehydes and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). After adjustment for possible risk factors, some VOCs and formaldehyde were dose-dependently shown to be significant risk factors. We also studied the dampness of the houses, fungi, allergies, and others. This book is fully based on the scientific evidence collected through these studies and other newly obtained information, especially from the aspect of architectural engineering. In addition to SHS, we included chapters on recent information about "multi-chemical sensitivity."
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Public Health
/
Guidelines as Topic
/
Sick Building Syndrome
/
Evidence-Based Medicine
/
Manuals as Topic
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Guideline
/
Risk_factors_studies
Aspects:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
Ja
Journal:
Nihon Eiseigaku Zasshi
Year:
2018
Document type:
Article
Country of publication:
Japón