Prevalence and Possible Causes of Sick Building Syndrome Among Primary School Teachers in Kware and Gwadabawa Local Government Areas, Sokoto State, Nigeria

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a medical condition characterized by non-specific symptoms such as eye, nose, throat irritation, headache, fatigue, dizziness and poor concentration experienced by occupants of a building, which improve after vacating the building. SBS is caused by chemical, biological, physical, psychological and environmental pollutants. In educational settings, SBS affects teachers and students' performance, attention and behaviour. To assess the SBS symptoms among primary school teachers and identify possible physical causes in classrooms in Gwadabawa and Kware Local Government Areas, Sokoto State, Nigeria. A survey research design was employed. The population comprised all primary school teachers in Kware and Gwadabawa LGAs. Convenience sampling was used to select 140 teachers, of which 120 properly filled questionnaires were returned. A semi-structured questionnaire assessed SBS symptoms, while a checklist recorded possible causes through visual inspection of 12 classrooms from 12 different primary schools. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage). Out of 120 teachers, 37 (30.8%) reported SBS symptoms including headache 10 (8.3%), sadness 8 (6.7%), nausea 6 (5.0%), laziness/fatigue 5 (4.2%), stomach pain 4 (3.3%) and skin irritation 4 (3.3%), while 83 (69.2%) reported no symptoms. Visual inspection revealed possible causes as unclean class 4 (33.3%), disrupted windows 3 (25.0%), mould 3 (25.0%) and disrupted ceiling 2 (16.7%). SBS prevalence among primary school teachers in the study area is 30.8%. Poor classroom hygiene and structural defects are major contributors. Regular cleaning, repair of ceilings and windows, mould control and adequate ventilation are recommended.