
This presentation will briefly: (1) describe the goals and strategies of epidemiology, the basic science of public health. (2) summarize the history of the problem of building-related symptoms (sometimes called sick building syndrome). (3) describe how epidemiologic research in the last 20 years has helped identify risk factors for these symptoms related to ventilation and ventilation systems. (4) summarize where we are in understanding the causes and prevention of building-related symptoms.