Relationship of Occupancy and Adequacy of Student Housing to Incidence of Acute Upper Respiratory Conditions

Abstract

Three hundred twelve college students were observed for 60 days to determine the incidence of acute upper respiratory conditions. Students were grouped on the basis of (a) the number of persons sharing the sleeping room and (b) the size of the room. Diagnosis and case reporting were carried out by university staff physicians. Critical ratios were obtained to determine the significance of the differences in the incidence of otolaryngologic conditions between groups. Analysis of the data indicated that inadequacy of floor space is a more influential factor in upper respiratory illness than is the number of persons sharing a room.