• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.5 s.92
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• pp.412-417
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• 2006

A self-administrated non-malignant respiratory symptoms questionnaire was sent to 1,099 citizens who take subway running in Seoul city. Symptom prevalence rate was high: 70.6% of subjects reported 'chest tightness', 43.4%, 'dysphnea'; 76.2%, 'dry cough'; 49.5%, 'runny nose'; 94.4%, 'drowsiness' when they take subway. The groups responding significant higher respiratory and drowsiness symptoms were 'young passengers' (vs elderly passengers), 'the female' (vs male), 'using subway everyday' (vs often), 'using subway for rush-hour time' (vs other than rush-hour), 'using transfer subway' (no transfer), 'using underground track' (vs ground track). Logistic. regression model was employed to find personal and subway characteristics affecting non-malignant respiratory symptoms. This study concluded that respiratory diseases history such as asthma, rhinitis, sinusitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis significantly affect 'dry cough' and 'runny nose'. Thus, passengers with respiratory diseases history shows 2.8 times greater 'dry cough' than and 3.4 times greater 'runny nose' than those passengers without respiratory diseases history felt. This results indicated that several measures have to take to protect sensitive groups such as passengers with respiratory diseases, children and elderly people. Also passenger who use to transfer shows 1.7 times higher runny nose symptoms than that passenger who do not transfer felt.