Dampness and Respiratory Symptoms among Workers in Daycare Centers in a Subtropical Climate

Abstract

We evaluated the association between measures of dampness in daycare centers (N = 56) in the Taipei area and symptoms of respiratory illness in 612 employees. Dampness was found in 75.3% of the centers, visible mold in 25.8%, stuffy odor in 50.0%, water damage in 49.3%, and flooding in 57.2%. Furthermore, prevalence of sick building syndrome symptoms in the daycare workers was statistically significant among those who worked in centers that had mold or dampness. Also, the observed numerous incidences of dampness or mold in centers were very common in this subtropical region, and dampness was a strong predictor of sick building syndrome symptoms.