Indoor Environmental Quality and Human Performance: Evidence from a Large-Scale Field Study

Exposure to poor environmental conditions has been associated with deterioration of physical and mental health, and the reduction of cognitive performance. Environmental conditions may also influence cognitive development of children, but epidemiological evidence of such impact is scant. In OECD countries, children spend an average 930 hours per year in a classroom, second only to time spent in their bedroom. Using continuous sensing technology, we investigate the relationship between indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and cognitive performance of school-aged children, including health measures and socio-economic indicators as mediators in the analysis.