What causes sick building syndrome - sick workroom or sick dwelling?

The cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in spring 1998 among indoor workers of 6 buildings in town Tartu, Estonia. The goal of this pilot study was to evaluate magnitude of possible problems related to indoor air quality in Estonian nonindustrial workrooms as well as in those workers' dwellings. Therefore, the questionnaire included questions about perceived indoor environment for both workplaces and homes. It merits consideration that prevalence of SBS symptoms was rather high (up to 64%) in Estonian offices and libraries though some variance between buildings also exists. The associations between symptoms and indoor environment demonstrate that the symptoms of sick building syndrome may often be result of combination of workroom-related factors as well as factors related to indoor environment in workers' homes. It could be concluded that in case of sick building syndrome, role of possible synergistic effects of factors occurring in and beyond workroom might remain underestimated if only workrooms are investigated.