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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Dampness and student-reported social climate: two multilevel mediation models.

Eerika FinellAsko TolvanenJuha PekkanenTimo StåhlPauliina Luopa

subject

mouldMaledampnessAdolescenteducationkosteusvauriotIndoor environmental problemsteacher-student relationshipsMultilevel analysislcsh:RC963-969HumansIndoor air qualityStudentsopettaja-oppilassuhdeMouldrakennuksetSchoolskoulutNegotiatingsisäilmalcsh:Public aspects of medicineResearchFungiClass spiritlcsh:RA1-1270Humidityhomeilmapiiri3142 Public health care science environmental and occupational healthTeacher-student relationshipsSocial ConditionskoulurakennuksetAir Pollution Indoor5141 Sociologyindoor environmental problemslcsh:Industrial medicine. Industrial hygieneclass spiritmultilevel analysisFemaleDampnessindoor air quality

description

Background Little previous research has analysed the relationship between schools' indoor air problems and schools' social climate. In this study, we analysed a) whether observed mould and dampness in a school building relates to students' perceptions of school climate (i.e. teacher-student relationships and class spirit) and b) whether reported subjective indoor air quality (IAQ) at the school level mediates this relationship. Methods The data analysed was created by merging two nationwide data sets: survey data from students, including information on subjective IAQ (N = 25,101 students), and data from schools, including information on mould and dampness in school buildings (N = 222). The data was analysed using multilevel mediational models. Results After the background variables were adjusted, schools' observed mould and dampness was not significantly related to neither student-perceived teacher-student relationships nor class spirit. However, our mediational models showed that there were significant indirect effects from schools' observed mould and dampness to outcome variables via school-level subjective IAQ: a) in schools with mould and dampness, students reported significantly poorer subjective IAQ (standardised beta = 0.34, p <0.001) than in schools without; b) the worse the subjective IAQ at school level, the worse the student-reported teacher-student relationships (beta = 0.31, p = 0.001) and class spirit (beta = 0.25, p = 0.006). Conclusions Problems in a school's indoor environment may impair the school's social climate to the degree that such problems decrease the school's perceived IAQ. Peer reviewed

10.1186/s12940-021-00710-5https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33740989