Does Gender Matters in Perception of Indoor Environmental Quality? Findings From A Swedish National Survey

Individuals perceive indoor spaces differently, and their requirements are subjectively defined. An analysis of the latest national survey of the stock in Sweden was conducted to describe particular aspects of perception of different parameters of indoor space in relation to gender. The objective of this study was to provide additional inputs to the existing body of knowledge concerning the existence or not and potential significance of gender differences on the perception of four different indoor environmental quality factors and overall satisfaction (five-point ordinal scale). The analysis was conducted in 80 apartments and 295 single-family buildings, both of which were occupied by males and females. For both genders and all factors and confounding variables evaluated, descriptive and advanced statistical analysis was performed. The findings indicate that different genders evaluate spaces equally in the majority of cases.