Associations between self-reported IEQ stressors of students' homes and self-reported rhinitis, stuffy nose, migraine and headache in student profiles

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that both personal and building-related factors may affect the health and comfort of occupants in their homes. It is also known that people differ in their needs and can therefore respond differently to these stressors. Therefore, based on the large database from the survey conducted yearly from 2016 to 2020 among the first-year students of the faculty of Architecture and the Built environment at the Delft University of Technology, this study aimed to explore the associations between self-reported rhinitis/stuffy nose/migraine/headache, and the indoor environment of the students' homes, taking into account potential confounders and profiles. Two-steps cluster analysis resulted in three profiles of students based on their IEQ-related perceptions: Cluster 1 with the highest reported percentage of symptoms and the lowest reported percentage of diseases; Cluster 2 with moderate reported symptoms and diseases; and Cluster 3 with the lowest percentage of reported symptoms and the highest percentage of reported diseases. Logistic regression modelling showed that risk factors contributing to having rhinitis, stuffy nose, migraine and/or headache, differ per cluster, and showed little overlap with the all-respondents group. Moreover, when there is an overlap, the associated risk factor might increase the risk for one cluster, while for another it decreases the risk, indicating differences in response between the different clusters; and therefore, the importance of clustering instead of considering all respondents as one.