Quantitative relationships between occupant satisfaction and satisfaction aspects of indoor environmental quality and building design.

UNLABELLED: The article examines which subjectively evaluated indoor environmental parameters and building features mostly affect occupants' satisfaction in mainly US office buildings. The study analyzed data from a web-based survey administered to 52,980 occupants in 351 office buildings over 10 years by the Center for the Built Environment. The survey uses 7-point ordered scale questions pertaining to satisfaction with indoor environmental parameters, workspace, and building features. The average building occupant was satisfied with his/her workspace and building. Proportional odds ordinal logistic regression shows that satisfaction with all 15 parameters listed in the survey contributed significantly to overall workspace satisfaction. The most important parameters were satisfaction with amount of space (odds ratio OR 1.57, 95% CI: 1.55-1.59), noise level (OR 1.27, 95% CI: 1.25-1.29), and visual privacy (OR 1.26, 95% CI: 1.24-1.28). Satisfaction with amount of space was ranked to be most important for workspace satisfaction, regardless of age group (below 30, 31-50 or over 50 years old), gender, type of office (single or shared offices, or cubicles), distance of workspace from a window (within 4.6 m or further), or satisfaction level with workspace (satisfied or dissatisfied). Satisfaction with amount of space was not related to the gross amount of space available per person. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: To maximize workspace satisfaction, designer should invest in aspects that increase satisfaction with amount of space and storage, noise level, and visual privacy. Office workers will be most satisfied with their workspace and building when located close to a window in a private office. This may affect job satisfaction, work performance, and personal and company productivity.

Family environment and the interrelation of family structure, child behavior, and metabolic control for children with diabetes.

Examined perceptions of the family environment in a cross-regional sample of 90 families who had children with diabetes and 89 controls. Families were classified as either traditional (intact) or nontraditional (single-parent or blended families). Parents of children with diabetes reported less family expressiveness, which was a predictor of clinically higher levels of child behavior problems than controls. Parents in nontraditional families reported lower levels of organization, less emphasis on active-recreational pursuits, and more child behavior problems than traditional families. An additive effect of diabetes and nontraditional family structure was found for children with diabetes from nontraditional families, who reported substantially less cohesion than all other groups. Nontraditional family structure was more disruptive for children with diabetes than for controls; it was the best predictor of behavior problems and was related to poorer metabolic control.

Experience with mepivacaine paracervical block in an obstetric private practice.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of mepivacaine paracervical block in term, low-risk obstetric patients. STUDY DESIGN: Over a 3-year period all term, low-risk obstetric patients in the author's private practice were offered mepivacaine paracervical block anesthesia. One hundred eighty-two patients received 200 mg mepivacaine with each block. The patients who declined paracervical block were used as a control group to compare Apgar scores, subject to chi 2 analysis. RESULTS: Initial injections were 97.3% successful. Average duration of anesthesia was 59.7 minutes with the first injection. Fetal bradycardia occurred in 13.2% with an average duration of 4.5 minutes. The slightly higher incidence of low Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes in the study group was not statistically significant. One neonatal death occurred secondary to group B streptococcal sepsis in the study group. CONCLUSION: Mepivacaine paracervical block remains an anesthetic option in low-risk patients. The high success rate is limited by its short duration of action and the incidence of fetal bradycardia.

Cost effectiveness of screening for only anti-HBc in institutions for mentally retarded persons.

During the screening and vaccination program for hepatitis B in state institutions for mentally retarded individuals, 7,273 staff and clients were screened. Of these, 1,561 persons (21.5%) had at least one marker. Of this number, 95.5% (N = 1,491) were positive for anti-HBc, and 77.8% (N = 1,214), for anti-HBs. Screening prior to vaccination, at a cost per person of $100, was cost effective when both anti-HBc and anti-HBs tests were performed on every individual; however, anti-HBc alone is the test of choice for a large-scale screening and vaccination program and is even more cost effective.