Abstract:

Sick building syndrome, which expressed as a series of common symptoms that are seen more frequently than expected by the residents or employees of a building, which are associated with the building, such as skin, respiratory system complaints, headache, fatigue, and concentration impairment, which cause discomfort in the person. The emergence of sick building syndrome symptoms causes psycho-social risk factors such as anxiety and stress as well as ergonomic risk factors. The aim of this study is to reveal the relationship between sick building syndrome symptoms and stress and to draw attention to the symptoms that may be seen in those who stay in closed area for a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, with the general quarantine declaration initiated by the World Health Organization with the slogan of "stay at home" due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of these symptoms, which may occur in those living in closed area for a long time, will increase the stress as well as the global fear and anxiety affecting all individuals. The results of the research conducted with 259 shopping mall employees; it is understood that employees have symptoms of dry throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, and general muscle-joint pain, which are indicators similar to Covid-19 symptoms. In addition, it has been found that the symptoms of sick building syndrome seen in shopping malls increase the stress levels of employees (F: 55.769, p: 0.00).

Keywords: