IJE Advance Access originally published online on August 19, 2004
International Journal of Epidemiology 2004 33(5):1120-1123; doi:10.1093/ije/dyh136
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IJE vol.33 no.5 © International Epidemiological Association 2004; all rights reserved.
Article |
Workplace air-conditioning and health services attendance among French middle-aged women: a prospective cohort study
1 French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) Unit 557, UMR (INSERM/INRA/CNAM), Paris, France
2 ORL Department, Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital, Paris, France
Correspondence: S Czernichow French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) U557, ISTNA–CNAM, 5 rue Vertbois, F-75003 Paris, France. E-mail: sebastien.czernichow{at}cnam.fr
Objectives To assess the relationship between type of ventilation in the workplace, health services attendance, and sickness absence among middle-aged women.
Methods In a national sample of 920 professionally active women aged 49–65 yr from the SU.VI.MAX cohort, recruited from the general population in France, health services attendance and sickness absence were assessed prospectively during 1999.
Results Being exposed to heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in the workplace proved to be a risk factor for attendance at global and several specialist medical services. The adjusted odds ratio for otorhinolaryngologist attendance was 2.33 (95% CI = 1.35–4.04) in the HVAC group compared with the natural ventilation group, and 1.70 (1.13–2.58) for sickness absence. Dermatologist and global medical services attendance rates may also be higher in this group (P = 0.06 in both cases).
Conclusions Exposure to HVAC systems was a strong and significant risk factor for otorhinolaryngologist attendance and sickness absence. HVAC systems are prevalent in recent office buildings and have been shown to be associated with several adverse health effects in terms of morbidity and mortality. From a public-health perspective, our results outline the need for a quantitative assessment of the health impact of ventilation systems, taking into account the possible loss of production that exists in addition to the direct costs of medical services use.
Keywords Epidemiology, air-conditioning systems, women's health, medical attendance, sickness absence
Accepted 10 March 2004
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