Microbial Indoor Air Quality and Associated Factors in Jimma Town Prison Administration, Southwestern Ethiopia

Indoor air quality determines the well-being of occupants. It has been linked to sick building syndrome and building-related diseases which lead to many socio-economic problems including reduced productivity and impaired learning. Indoor air quality problem is more serious for prisoners, due to their confinement and exposure condition. However, it has not been studied in our study setting. Thus, this study aimed to determine the indoor air microbial quality and associated factors in Jimma town prison administration, Southwestern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was employed in August 2021. Data on the general condition of the prison rooms and occupancy were collected by trained data collectors using an observational checklist. The microbial sample was collected using a sterilized Petri dish. A total of 19 triplicate air samples were collected using Mannitol salt agar and Sabouroad dextrose agar media for the growth of S. aureus and fungi respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and presented using tables and a graph. The effect of predictor variables on the microbial load was also analyzed by using linear regression. The finding of this study revealed that the microbial load of indoor air at Jimma town prison administration ranged from 891 to 15 439 and 315 to 3067 CFU/m³ for S. aureus and fungi respectively. Both S. aureus and the fungal load of the indoor environment were positively affected by the temperature of the room. Whereas, the floor space per inmate affects the concentration of S. aureus alone. Almost all rooms of the prison administration had microbial load beyond the acceptable limit. Higher temperature, less floor space per inmate, bad floor cleanness conditions, inadequate ventilation, and dampness were contributing factors to the high load of S. aureus and fungus. Thus, additional rooms are required to reduce overcrowding and keep room temperature.