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Ekpanyaskul C, Padungtod C, Kleebbua C. Home as a new physical workplace: a causal model for understanding the inextricable link between home environment, work productivity, and well-being. INDUSTRIAL HEALTH 2023; 61:320-328. [PMID: 36058851 PMCID: PMC10542468 DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.2022-0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The home has become a new physical workplace, and can therefore influence the work, health, and life of workers. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the chronology of the effects of work hazards at home on factors such as workers' health, productivity, and well-being (WB). Information on novice working-from-home (WFH) workers was derived from the "Occupational health of WFH" project. The selected variables in the hypothesis model comprised problems such as perceived indoor environmental quality (IEQ), working conditions (WC), sick house syndrome (SHS), occupational stress (OS), work productivity (WP), and WB. The relationship between these variables was analyzed using a structural equation model. The group analysis results showed the following significant indirect path effects from work environment through WP: IEQ-> SHS->OS->WP. A non-significant direct effect was observed between IEQ and WP. While WC problems could also have a significant direct effect on WP, or be mediated by OS, WP is a significant consequence and a direct effect of WB. In conclusion, the WFH model's causal impact between home environment, WP, and WB is a physiopsychological pathway. Therefore, creating a healthy home environment and WC, along with OS management, comprise important issues for improving productivity and WB for this new work style.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chatchai Ekpanyaskul
- Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand
| | - Chantana Padungtod
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand
| | - Chaiyut Kleebbua
- Division of Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Graduate School, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand
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Park SH, Shin HK, Kim KW. COVID-19 hospital indoor environments and how it helped patients' recovery and staff's work: a case study in South Korea. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1192842. [PMID: 37484076 PMCID: PMC10359886 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1192842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The indoor environment has been recognized as a crucial factor that can influence health and wellbeing of occupants. This is particularly true in hospital settings, where various environmental attributes can significantly affect patients' recovery and staff members' productivity. The present study aimed to investigate how occupants in hospitals perceived indoor environment, focusing specifically on COVID-19 hospitals across Republic of Korea. The study recruited two groups of participants: patients (n = 100) who had been hospitalized in COVID-19 hospitals and staff members (n = 103) who worked in COVID-19 hospitals. The data collected from the participants were analyzed using multiple regression models to determine which environmental attributes significantly affected their perception of the indoor environment. The study revealed that satisfaction with indoor acoustic environment and odor were significant predictors for how patients perceived the indoor environment as helpful for their recovery from COVID-19. On the other hand, odor was also the significant factor affecting staff members' perceived helpfulness for work. The results suggested that different environmental attributes can have a significant impact on the perception of the indoor environment, depending on the characteristics of occupancy. The study's findings provided insights into the certain environmental factors that COVID-19 hospitals can prioritize. These insights can help policymakers and hospital administrators to develop strategies to create hospital environments that meet the needs of both groups. The study also suggested that further research is needed to investigate additional factors affecting occupants' perception of the indoor environment in hospital settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kyoung-Woo Kim
- Department of Building Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Goyang-si, Republic of Korea
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Leng CH, Tsai CS, Chan TC, Lee HW. Quality of life in multiple scenarios: The impact of work mode and social contact quantity. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1018415. [PMID: 36760439 PMCID: PMC9902648 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1018415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees were encouraged to temporarily work from home as an attempt to decrease social contact with others. However, the employees' quality of life (QoL) may have been threatened by this mode of working. This study, therefore, aims to explore the employees' QoL given the new mode of working from home (WFH) as a result of the pandemic vs. working in the office (WIO), the amount of social contact that they were exposed to, and the ratio of face-to-face contact that they had. Methods A total of 803 WFH employees and 588 WIO employees' QoL was assessed during the same time period using the WHOQOL-BREF, which contains four domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationship, and the environment. We then divided the participants into 16 groups in accordance with the levels of work mode, social contact quantity, and face-to-face contact ratio-forming a case-control study. A differential item functioning (DIF) analysis was used to analyze the responses on the WHOQOL-BREF under the 4-dimensional rating scale model fitting. Results The results indicated that WFH employees' QoL was superior to that of WIO employees. The relationship between the WFH mode and the employees' QoL was specifically moderated by the amount of social contact and the ratio of face-to-face contact that was experienced. The results further demonstrated that the increased amount of non-face-to-face contact was better for WFH employees' QoL than that of WIO employees. Discussion In conclusion, the WFH mode was practical during the COVID-19 pandemic, as our findings indicated that WFH employees' QoL was better than WIO employees' QoL. However, maintaining social connections is equally important as this allows employees to perform better at their jobs and maintain such performance. The employees with a higher number of social support had a better QoL. Additionally, the facets detected as DIF items provided implications for the QoL with regard to the research methodology and insight into factors affecting the employees' QoL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Han Leng
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Shiun Tsai
- Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Ta-Chien Chan
- Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Hsuan-Wei Lee
- Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, Taipei City, Taiwan,*Correspondence: Hsuan-Wei Lee ✉
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Bergefurt L, Appel-Meulenbroek R, Arentze T. How physical home workspace characteristics affect mental health: A systematic scoping review. Work 2023; 76:489-506. [PMID: 37066958 PMCID: PMC10657703 DOI: 10.3233/wor-220505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the 1990s, voluntary teleworking became more grounded, because of expected advantages as increased productivity and comfort. However, COVID-19 obliged employees to work from home (WFH), even in unsuitable houses, which might have reduced their mental health. A holistic overview of methods and measures of the physical home-workspace characteristics and mental health is currently lacking. Insights in the potential influence of the physical home-workspace on mental health are also not yet holistically examined. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to provide insights in previously studied relationships between the physical home-workspace and mental health and to identify measures for both using a systematic scoping review. METHODS This study used the PRISMA method to systematically review existing literature. RESULTS Most studies focussed on noise, acoustics, and privacy, in relation to productivity, concentration, and sleep quality. Only a few studies used objective measures for physical home-workspace characteristics. CONCLUSION The list of relevant measures can be used by academics to examine relationships between the home-workspace and mental health further. Workplace managers can use it to help employees in optimizing their home-workspace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisanne Bergefurt
- Faculty of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Rianne Appel-Meulenbroek
- Faculty of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Theo Arentze
- Faculty of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Mu J, Kang J. Dining comfort in elderly care facility dining rooms and influencing factors before and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1106741. [PMID: 36935961 PMCID: PMC10022735 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1106741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has changed dining modes in elderly care facilities. This study explores the relationship between the dining environment of four elderly care facilities and the sensitivity of the elderly residents to it before and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The study examined differences in subjective comfort levels by measuring the facilities' physical environment, analysing dining behavior, and surveying the elderly residents. And the study examined how the interaction between the physical environment factors, demographic factors, and dining mode affected the residents' evaluation of their dining comfort. Results (1) The physical environmental parameters of the four dining rooms differed between the pre- and post-epidemic periods, as shown by increased Sound Pressure Level (SPL), humidity, and temperature levels. (2) The residents' evaluations of physical environment comfort also changed after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The subjective comfort levels of the 'dining with baffle' and 'dining across a seat' modes decreased, though the level of the former was slightly higher than that of the latter. The elderly had stronger SPL tolerance in the dining with baffle mode and dining across a seat mode, and their subjective comfort levels for thermal environment and air quality were higher in the dining across a seat mode. (3) When dining time, crowd density, and communication frequency were kept equal, the subjective comfort level of the elderly in the dining with baffle mode and dining across a seat mode was lower than that in the 'normal' dining mode, when the level in the dining with baffle mode was lower than that in the dining across a seat mode. (4) Differences were observed in subjective comfort levels according to age, education level, and residence duration across the dining modes. Discussion The need for changes in dining modes during the COVID-19 isolation period require dining rooms in elderly care facilities to design their physical environments in a way that improves dining comfort for the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyi Mu
- Key Laboratory of Cold Region Urban and Rural Human Settlement Environment Science and Technology, School of Architecture, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Jian Kang
- Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, The Bartlett, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Jian Kang,
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Torresin S, Ratcliffe E, Aletta F, Albatici R, Babich F, Oberman T, Kang J. The actual and ideal indoor soundscape for work, relaxation, physical and sexual activity at home: A case study during the COVID-19 lockdown in London. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1038303. [PMID: 36643696 PMCID: PMC9835560 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1038303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The period of home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic made the importance of a high-quality surrounding environment even more evident than before. Several studies have been carried out to assess the (negative) impacts of noise on annoyance, particularly whilst working from home (WFH). The present study takes a step further by (1) investigating the positive and negative impacts of the "actual" acoustic environment on a range of activities, i.e., WFH, relaxation, physical, and sexual activities, and (2) identifying the characteristics of an "ideal" indoor soundscape. The study is based on the qualitative analysis of verbal descriptions collected from open-ended questions included in a survey administered in January 2021 to 464 respondents living in London, during the COVID-19 lockdown. The range of impacts in the actual scenario varied from no effect on task execution, to disruption, distraction, concern of disturbing others or being heard. Positive impacts included support of concentration, relaxation, motivation, freedom of sound expression, feeling of being connected to the surroundings and comforted by the presence of others, according to mechanisms described in the study. Negative appraisal could trigger coping strategies (e.g., controlling windows, playing music, wearing headphones) and behavioural changes (e.g., lowering the volume of the voice or music, muting oneself during call, changing workout type) that could in turn limit or enhance the freedom of behaviour, affect or foster wellbeing. Negative impacts were most frequently reported on WFH (by 55% of the participants), followed by relaxation activities (40.6%), sexual activities (30.1%), and home workout (20.1%). The ideal soundscape was described as a quiet, well-sound insulated environment, which guarantees access to positive sounds (i.e., natural sounds, music, urban background), thus resulting in privacy, intimacy, and a place where to express themselves without noise-related constraints. The study complements literature findings on housing design directions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing further evidence on the impacts of poor sound insulation at home, the potential benefits of nature-based solutions for positive indoor soundscapes, and opportunities for an activity-based design of domestic environments, inclusive of a broader set of home uses and household compositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Torresin
- Institute for Renewable Energy – Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy
- UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, The Bartlett, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Ratcliffe
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Aletta
- UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, The Bartlett, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rossano Albatici
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | | | - Tin Oberman
- UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, The Bartlett, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jian Kang
- UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, The Bartlett, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Rana A, Kamali M, Riyadh MM, Sultana SR, Kamal MR, Alam MS, Hewage K, Sadiq R. Energy efficiency in residential buildings amid COVID-19: A holistic comparative analysis between old and new normal occupancies. ENERGY AND BUILDINGS 2022; 277:112551. [PMID: 36320632 PMCID: PMC9612947 DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2022.112551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Stringent lockdowns have been one of the defining features of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns have brought about drastic changes in living styles, including increased residential occupancy and telework practices predicted to last long. The variation in occupancy pattern and energy use needs to be assessed at the household level. Consequently, the new occupancy times will impact the performance of energy efficiency measures. To address these gaps, this work uses a real case study, a two-story residential building in the Okanagan Valley (British Columbia, Canada). Further, steady-state building energy simulations are performed on the HOT2000 tool to evaluate the resiliency of energy efficiency measures under a full lockdown. Three-year monitored energy data is analyzed to study the implications of COVID-19 lockdowns on HVAC and non-HVAC loads at a monthly temporal scale. The results show a marked change in energy use patterns and a higher increase in May 2020 compared to the previous two years. Calibrated energy models built on HOT2000 are then used to study the impacts of pre-COVID-19 (old normal occupancy) and post-COVID-19 (new normal occupancy) on energy upgrades performance. The simulations show that under higher occupancy times, the annual electricity use increased by 16.4%, while natural gas use decreased by 7.6%. The results indicate that overall residential buildings following pre-COVID-19 occupancy schedules had higher energy-saving potential than those with new normal occupancy. In addition, the variation in occupancy and stakeholder preferences directly impact the ranking of energy efficiency measures. Furthermore, this study identifies energy efficiency measures that provide flexibility for the decision-makers by identifying low-cost options feasible under a range of occupancy schedules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anber Rana
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Mohammad Kamali
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
- School of Engineering, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - M Mohammed Riyadh
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - S Rubaiya Sultana
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - M Rubayat Kamal
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - M Shahria Alam
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Kasun Hewage
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Rehan Sadiq
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
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Hasegawa Y, Lau SK. A qualitative and quantitative synthesis of the impacts of COVID-19 on soundscapes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 844:157223. [PMID: 35810914 PMCID: PMC9262645 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The current prolonged coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has substantially influenced numerous facets of our daily lives for over two years. Although a number of studies have explored the pandemic impacts on soundscapes worldwide, their works have not been reviewed comprehensively nor systematically, hence a lack of prospective soundscape goals based upon global evidence. This review study examines evidence of the COVID-19 crisis impacts on soundscapes and quantifies the prevalence of unprecedented changes in acoustic environments. Two key-research classes were identified based on a systematic content analysis of the 119 included studies: (1) auditory perceptual change and (2) noise level change due to the COVID-19 pandemic/lockdown. Our qualitative synthesis ascertained the substantial adverse consequences of pandemic soundscapes on human health and well-being while beneficial aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic on soundscapes were yet identified. Furthermore, meta-analysis results highlight that the observed average noise-level reduction (148 averaged samples derived from 31 studies) varied as a function of the stringency level of the COVID-19 confinement policies imposed by the governments, which would be further moderated by urban morphology and main noise sources. Given these collective findings, we propose soundscape materiality, its nexus with related the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs), and prospective approaches to support resilient soundscapes during and after the pandemic, which should be achieved to enhance healthy living and human well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshimi Hasegawa
- Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Siu-Kit Lau
- Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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Satisfaction and Demands of Indoor Space in the High-Density Residential Areas in the COVID-19 Era. BUILDINGS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/buildings12050660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The last few years have witnessed a change in residents’ demand for indoor space due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the perspective of residential satisfaction in the urban areas in various levels of COVID-19 severity, the household survey was conducted to explore the changing residential demands. The IBM SPSS Statistics was employed to analyze the survey data with a focus on the relationship between pandemic severity and residents’ satisfaction, as well as the future influence of COVID-19 on indoor space and the varying demands. Correlation analysis was performed. The variables included in the correlation analysis were the following: urban epidemic severity, number of confirmed cases, density of confirmed cases, regional pandemic severity and satisfaction of different indoor spaces. This study revealed that the hallway, bathroom, living room and master bedroom are key areas in which the residential demands are concentrated. These should be paid attention to in the future residential design.
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