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Indoor air quality in laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among university students in Malaysia

Introduction: Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in work environments can reduce productivity and decrease overall performance. This study examines IAQ in university laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among students in Malaysia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conduc...

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Main Authors: Nazman, Muhammad, Mohd Hatta, Puteri Balqis, Suhaimi, Nur Faseeha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Airlangga University Faculty of Public Health 2024
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114372/1/114372.pdf
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114372/
https://e-journal.unair.ac.id/JKL/article/view/59204
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spelling my.upm.eprints.1143722025-01-15T06:38:49Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114372/ Indoor air quality in laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among university students in Malaysia Nazman, Muhammad Mohd Hatta, Puteri Balqis Suhaimi, Nur Faseeha Introduction: Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in work environments can reduce productivity and decrease overall performance. This study examines IAQ in university laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among students in Malaysia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2023 in six laboratories at a Malaysian university, categorised into chemical and non-chemical. A total of 117 students aged 18 to 40 participated. IAQ was measured in real-time for 8 hours during weekdays using instruments for particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), airborne microorganisms, carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature, relative humidity (RH), and air movement. Psychological performance was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE). Data analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis, One-Way ANOVA, and Chi-Square tests. Results and Discussion: Significant differences in IAQ parameters were observed for PM2.5 (p=0.007), PM10 (p=0.020), CO2 (p=0.024) and RH (p=0.043). Psychological distress affected 41.9% of students based on the predefined threshold. High CO levels (≥0.67 ppm) and elevated temperatures (≥23.28°C) were significantly associated with increased psychological distress (p=0.011). Students exposed to these conditions were 1.3 times more likely to experience distress (OR=1.3). Conclusion: Specific IAQ parameters, particularly CO and temperature, critically impact students’ psychological well-being. Improving IAQ by reducing CO levels and maintaining optimal temperatures may enhance mental health and performance. Improving IAQ by reducing CO levels and maintaining optimal temperatures may enhance mental health and performance. However, external factors such as personal stressors could not be entirely controlled. Airlangga University Faculty of Public Health 2024-10-31 Article PeerReviewed text en cc_by_nc_sa_4 http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114372/1/114372.pdf Nazman, Muhammad and Mohd Hatta, Puteri Balqis and Suhaimi, Nur Faseeha (2024) Indoor air quality in laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among university students in Malaysia. Jurnal Kesehatan Lingkungan, 16 (4). pp. 289-301. ISSN 1829-7285; eISSN: 2540-881X https://e-journal.unair.ac.id/JKL/article/view/59204 10.20473/jkl.v16i4.2024.289-301
institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
building UPM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Putra Malaysia
content_source UPM Institutional Repository
url_provider http://psasir.upm.edu.my/
language English
description Introduction: Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in work environments can reduce productivity and decrease overall performance. This study examines IAQ in university laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among students in Malaysia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2023 in six laboratories at a Malaysian university, categorised into chemical and non-chemical. A total of 117 students aged 18 to 40 participated. IAQ was measured in real-time for 8 hours during weekdays using instruments for particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), airborne microorganisms, carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature, relative humidity (RH), and air movement. Psychological performance was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE). Data analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis, One-Way ANOVA, and Chi-Square tests. Results and Discussion: Significant differences in IAQ parameters were observed for PM2.5 (p=0.007), PM10 (p=0.020), CO2 (p=0.024) and RH (p=0.043). Psychological distress affected 41.9% of students based on the predefined threshold. High CO levels (≥0.67 ppm) and elevated temperatures (≥23.28°C) were significantly associated with increased psychological distress (p=0.011). Students exposed to these conditions were 1.3 times more likely to experience distress (OR=1.3). Conclusion: Specific IAQ parameters, particularly CO and temperature, critically impact students’ psychological well-being. Improving IAQ by reducing CO levels and maintaining optimal temperatures may enhance mental health and performance. Improving IAQ by reducing CO levels and maintaining optimal temperatures may enhance mental health and performance. However, external factors such as personal stressors could not be entirely controlled.
format Article
author Nazman, Muhammad
Mohd Hatta, Puteri Balqis
Suhaimi, Nur Faseeha
spellingShingle Nazman, Muhammad
Mohd Hatta, Puteri Balqis
Suhaimi, Nur Faseeha
Indoor air quality in laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among university students in Malaysia
author_facet Nazman, Muhammad
Mohd Hatta, Puteri Balqis
Suhaimi, Nur Faseeha
author_sort Nazman, Muhammad
title Indoor air quality in laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among university students in Malaysia
title_short Indoor air quality in laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among university students in Malaysia
title_full Indoor air quality in laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among university students in Malaysia
title_fullStr Indoor air quality in laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among university students in Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed Indoor air quality in laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among university students in Malaysia
title_sort indoor air quality in laboratories and its relationship with psychological performance among university students in malaysia
publisher Airlangga University Faculty of Public Health
publishDate 2024
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114372/1/114372.pdf
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114372/
https://e-journal.unair.ac.id/JKL/article/view/59204
_version_ 1823093134191493120
score 13.235362

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