Evaluation of Two Different Questionnaires used for Diagnosing Ocular Manifestations in the Sick Building Syndrome on the Basis of an Objective Index

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Abstract
The paper evaluates ocular manifestations as reported in two different questionnaires completed within one to Two weeks by 164 office workers in four town halls in Copenhagen. Among 14 previously investigated, these town halls constitute the two with the highest and the two with the lowest prevalence of the Sick Building Syndrome (defined as mucous membrane complaints such as eye, nose or throat irritation, and general symptoms such as headaches or fatigue several times a week). There was a highly significant rank correlation in each of the four town halls between the frequency of self‐reported ocular manifestations in the two questionnaires. Furthermore, the eye complaints reported in both questionnaires were significantly correlated with an objective measure for eye dryness, investigated using a biomicroscope. By combining the two questionnaires it was possible to define subgroups using both frequency of eye complaints and consistency of reporting in the two questionnaires. The subgroup of 107 subjects with consistency in the frequency of their eye complaints in the two questionnaires showed a significantly higher correlation with the objective index than did the subjects with inconsistent reporting. Furthermore, with increased frequency of complaints and consistency of reporting, not only the prevalence of microscopically determined eye dryness, but also the number of up to 7 different eye symptoms per subject increased, and an increased percentage of these symptoms was found to be related to sensory reactions in the common chemical sense, which earlier has been postulated to be involved in the Sick Building Syndrome. In conclusion, the study shows that data from two different questionnaires on self‐reported ocular manifestations associated with the Sick Building Syndrome are reproducible and associated with objective dryness in the eyes.