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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 481 - 490 of 585 | Export entire research library

Survey of radon testing and mitigation by Wisconsin residents, landlords, and school districts

Denu, Ryan

35.1% of Wisconsin school districts (78/222) have tested their schools for radon. Of
homeowners with elevated radon, about 60% mitigated. School districts whose radon levels tested high most commonly did not mitigate, with costs and/or lack of…

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Longitudinal development of the dust microbiome in a newly opened Norwegian kindergarten

Nygaard, Anders B

Significant changes in the microbial community composition were observed over time (PERMANOVA, P < 0.05). Particularly, changes in the abundance and the proportions of human associated bacteria were found. A decrease in the prevalence of…

Keywords: Kindergartens, Indoor microbiome, Dust analysis, Antibiotic resistance, Built environment

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Association of multimedia teaching with myopia: A national study of school children

Hinterlong, James

This cross-sectional national Taiwan study of 3,686 grade 4–6 students examined multimedia exposure and classroom lighting; findings link bright light during digital teaching to increased myopia risk, underscoring need for school eye health policies.

Keywords: Myopia, Nurses, Children, Prevention, School nursing, Taiwan, Vision screening

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Assessment of formaldehyde levels in relation to respiratory and allergic symptoms in children from Alba County schools, Romania

Neamtiu, Iulia

The indoor formaldehyde levels for a school week varied between 15.5 and 66.2 μg/m3, with a median value of 34.8 μg/m3. The adjusted odds ratios for allergy-like, asthma-like, and flu-like symptoms were 3.23 (95% CI 1.31–8.00), 2.69 (95% CI 1.04–6.…

Keywords: Exposure, Formaldehyde levels, Indoor air quality, Respiratory and allergic symptoms, School children

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Review and Extension of CO2-Based Methods to Determine Ventilation Rates with Application to School Classrooms

Batterman, Stuart

VRs during the school day fell below recommended minimum levels, and VRs during evening and early morning were on the order of 0.1 h􀀀1, reflecting shutdown of the ventilation systems. The transient mass balance method was the most flexible and…

Keywords: Ventilation, Air change rate (ACH/AER), Carbon dioxide (CO2), School, Classrooms, Indoor air quality

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On the seasonal aerosol pollution levels and its sources in some primary schools in Vilnius, Lithuania

Prokopciuk, Nina

The main sources responsible for the elevated levels of indoor PN and PM aerosol concentrations were determined: local canteens in the absence of ventilation (particle concentrations up to 97,500 part/cm3 (CPC)), the school-grader activity during…

Keywords: Primary schools, Indoor/outdoor aerosol, Pollution levels, Systematic sources, Occasional sources, Ventilation

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Oxidative capacity and hemolytic activity of settled dust from moisture-damaged schools

Huttunen, Kati

he moisture observations in the schools were associated with some of the microbial components in the dust, and microbial determinants grouped together increased the oxidative capacity. Oxidative capacity was also affected by particle concentration…

Keywords: Hemolysis, Microbes, Moisture, Oxidative capacity, Reactive oxygen species, Settled dust.

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Estimation of students' exposure to metal concentrations from river-dust episodes during 1994–2012

Yang, Hao-Jan

Significant relationships (p < 0.01) were found between outdoor PM10 concentrations at Lunbei’s air quality monitoring station and the two elementary schools. The outdoor PM10 concentrations at the monitoring station and the schools’ indoor PM10…

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Predicting environmental risk factors in relation to health outcomes among school children from Romania using random forest model - An analysis of data from the SINPHONIE project

Lin, Ziqiang

About one-third of the participants reported at least one health symptom in the past week. The most common respiratory symptoms reported among Romanian school children were the flu-like symptoms (30.4%), the most frequent being runny nose (20%). The…

Keywords: Children, Exposure, Health outcomes, Logistic regression, Machine learning

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The exposure of children to PM 2.5 and dust in indoor and outdoor school classrooms in Kuala Lumpur City Centre

Othman, Murnira

This study showed that the average indoor and outdoor 24 h PM2.5 was 11.2 ± 0.45 µg m−3 and 11.4 ± 0.44 µg m−3 respectively. The 8 h PM2.5 concentration ranged between 3.2 and 28 µg m−3 for indoor and 3.2 and 19 µg m−3 for outdoor classrooms. The…

Keywords: Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), School environment, Indoor and outdoor dust, Health risk assessment

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