William H. Farquhar Middle School, Olney, MD. Photo credit: Patrick Ross
School Health Research Library
We have curated a library of peer-reviewed scientific studies from around the world published since 2016, focusing on the school built environment and occupant health and performance. This research builds on the 2017 Schools for Health: Foundations for Student Success report released by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health that synthesizes foundational research about school indoor environmental quality impacts on students and staff.
To help translate this research into action in schools, we have compiled School Health Research Highlights to help school staff and leaders access key findings and actionable strategies on priority topics.
Displaying 421 - 430 of 585 | Export entire research library
Indoor fungal diversity in primary schools may differently influence allergic sensitization and asthma in children
Rufo, João Cavaleiro
Classrooms with increased diversity scores showed a significantly lower prevalence of children with atopic sensitization, but not asthma. The risk of sensitization increased with increasing endotoxin exposure in classrooms. Similarly, significantly…
Keywords: Endotoxins, Exposure, Fungi, Indoor air, Microbiologic diversity, microbiome, School, Sensitization
Reopening higher education buildings in post-epidemic COVID-19 scenario: monitoring and assessment of indoor environmental quality after implementing ventilation protocols in Spain and Portugal
de le Hoz-Torres, María L
Results showed that although renewal air protocols were effective and the mean CO2 concentration levels remained low (742 ppm and 519 ppm in Portugal and Spain universities, respectively), students were dissatisfied with the current indoor…
Keywords: Building management, Built environment, Indoor environmental quality, New-normal scenario, Sensor monitoring
Asthma symptoms among Chinese children: the role of ventilation and PM10 exposure at school and home
Fan, X-J
The prevalence of current wheeze, daytime attacks of breathlessness, nocturnal cough, nocturnal respiratory symptoms and RI was respectively 4.4%, 18.7%, 11.6%, 3.6% and 32.3%. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at home was associated with daytime…
Keywords: Asthmatic symptoms, Dampness, Particulate matter (PM), Respiratory infections, School students
Passive PM2.5 control plan of educational buildings by using airtight improvement technologies in South Korea
Yang, Sungwoong
As a result of the experiment, it was analyzed that air leakage was reduced by up to 37% and fine dust by 22%.
Keywords: Particulate matter (PM), School, Educational buildings, Air-tightness, Infiltration, Particulate matter (PM)
A systematic approach to quantify the influence of indoor environmental parameters on students' perceptions, responses, and short-term academic performance
Brink HW
During the pilot study, the IEQ of the classrooms varied slightly. Significant associations (p < 0.05) were observed between these natural variations and students' perceptions of the thermal environment and indoor air quality. These…
Keywords: Performance, Classrooms' indoor environmental quality, Health, Higher education, Student responses, Quality of learning
Indoor air pollution effects on pediatric asthma are submicron aerosol particle-dependent
Justine, Izabele
The incidence of asthma per school ranged from 1.8 to 6.0%. Mean indoor air pollution based on measurements in classrooms during the lessons was calculated for each school. Levels of PNC and PMC in schools ranged between 33.0 and 168.0 particles/cm3…
Keywords: Asthma, Indoor aerosol pollution, Particle number concentration, Particle mass concentration, Particle size range, Primary schools, Children
Does dampness and mold in schools affect health? Results of a meta-analysis
Fisk, William J
The evidence of adverse health effects was strongest for cough and wheeze, which had confidence limits excluding unity in some or all analyses. The odds ratios of 1.32 for cough and 1.68 for wheeze suggest moderate increases in health risk. Studies…
Keywords: Dampness, Health, Meta-analysis, Mold, Respiratory, School
School attendance and daily respiratory symptoms in children: influence of moisture damage
Casas, L
We combined country-specific estimates (incidence rate ratios [IRRs] and 95% confidence interval [CI]) in meta-analyses. Symptom scores were lower during weekends and holiday. Lower respiratory tract symptoms were statistically significantly less…
Keywords: Children, Daily symptoms, Dampness, Mild, Respiratory health, School anttendance
A chemical dynamic model for the infiltration of outdoor size-resolved ammonium nitrate aerosols to indoor environments
Xie, Yangyang
Comparisons between the predicted and measured concentrations of these aerosols showed a mean relative error of 4.8 ± 18.3%. To analyze the sensitivity of model parameters, several parameters were perturbed. This analysis indicated that parameters…
Keywords: Ammonium nitrate, Chemical equilibrium, Indoor aerosols, Infiltration, Reversible reaction, Size distribution
A multi-layered strategy for COVID-19 infection prophylaxis in schools: A review of the evidence for masks, distancing, and ventilation
McLeod, Robert S.
In the presence of increasingly infectious SARS-Cov-2 variants, in-classroom teaching can only be safely maintained through a layered strategy combining multiple protective measures. The precise measures that are needed at any point in time depend…
Keywords: Air purification, Infraction prophylaxis in school classrooms, Masking and physical distancing, Mechanical ventilation, Natural ventilation