@article{eecbee9947624eb2b0e365ba81f3d21a,
title = "Wellbuilt for wellbeing: Controlling relative humidity in the workplace matters for our health",
abstract = "This study offers a new perspective on the role of relative humidity in strategies to improve the health and wellbeing of office workers. A lack of studies of sufficient participant size and diversity relating relative humidity (RH) to measured health outcomes has been a driving factor in relaxing thermal comfort standards for RH and removing a lower limit for dry air. We examined the association between RH and objectively measured stress responses, physical activity (PA), and sleep quality. A diverse group of office workers (n = 134) from four well-functioning federal buildings wore chest-mounted heart rate variability monitors for three consecutive days, while at the same time, RH and temperature (T) were measured in their workplaces. Those who spent the majority of their time at the office in conditions of 30%-60% RH experienced 25% less stress at the office than those who spent the majority of their time in drier conditions. Further, a correlational study of our stress response suggests optimal values for RH may exist within an even narrower range around 45%. Finally, we found an indirect effect of objectively measured poorer sleep quality, mediated by stress responses, for those outside this range.",
keywords = "health, office workers, relative humidity, sleep quality, stress responses, wearable sensors",
author = "Javad Razjouyan and Hyoki Lee and Brian Gilligan and Casey Lindberg and Hung Nguyen and Kelli Canada and Alex Burton and Amir Sharafkhaneh and Karthik Srinivasan and Faiz Currim and Sudha Ram and Mehl, {Matthias R.} and Nicole Goebel and Melisa Lunden and Seema Bhangar and Judith Heerwagen and Kevin Kampschroer and Sternberg, {Esther M.} and Bijan Najafi",
note = "Funding Information: Funding information This study was funded in part by United States General Services Administration contract # GS00H14AAC0094/GS14H17AAA0008. University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, and National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging (Award#2SB1AG032748-06). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of sponsors. The authors wish to thank all federal workers who accepted to be volunteers for the purpose of this study. None of the volunteers received funding or other compensation for participation in this study. The authors also wish to thank the following individuals for providing advice on our findings and potential confounds: Ed Ahrens, PhD, Traci Hanegan, PE, Mark Hydeman, PE, Kevin Hydes, PE, Vivian Loftness, PhD, Forrest Meggers, PhD, Gwelen Paliaga, PE, Stephanie Taylor, MD, Steven Taylor, PE, and Jovan Pantelic, PhD. None of these individuals received funding or other compensation for their contributions. Finally, the authors acknowledge the support of the UA Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. Funding Information: The authors wish to thank all federal workers who accepted to be volunteers for the purpose of this study. None of the volunteers received funding or other compensation for participation in this study. The authors also wish to thank the following individuals for providing advice on our findings and potential confounds: Ed Ahrens, PhD, Traci Hanegan, PE, Mark Hydeman, PE, Kevin Hydes, PE, Vivian Loftness, PhD, Forrest Meggers, PhD, Gwelen Paliaga, PE, Stephanie Taylor, MD, Steven Taylor, PE, and Jovan Pantelic, PhD. None of these individuals received funding or other compensation for their contributions. Finally, the authors acknowledge the support of the UA Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 The Authors. Indoor Air published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd",
year = "2020",
month = jan,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1111/ina.12618",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "30",
pages = "167--179",
journal = "Indoor Air",
issn = "0905-6947",
publisher = "Blackwell Munksgaard",
number = "1",
}