Evaluating thermal response when elderly people using local cooling devices : Correlation among overall and local thermal sensation with skin temperature

Minzhou Chen; Jaafar Younes; Azin Velashjerdi Farahani; Simo Kilpeläinen; Risto Kosonen; Nesreen Ghaddar; Kamel Ghali; Arsen Krikor Melikov

doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111217

Evaluating thermal response when elderly people using local cooling devices : Correlation among overall and local thermal sensation with skin temperature

Minzhou Chen^*
, Jaafar Younes
, Azin Velashjerdi Farahani
, Simo Kilpeläinen
, Risto Kosonen
, Nesreen Ghaddar
, Kamel Ghali
, Arsen Krikor Melikov

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

60 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The thermal comfort of elderly people in warm indoor environments is important because of their higher risk of heat stress. The use of local cooling devices may help alleviate heat stress. In this study, 26 elderly participants were recruited for climate chamber experiments in neutral (26 °C, 40 % relative humidity (RH)), slightly warm (29 °C, 40 % RH; 28 °C, 60 % RH), and warm (33 °C, 40 % RH; 32 °C, 50 % RH) environments. Three local cooling devices were tested: a table fan, evaporative cooling device, and air-cooled jacket. This study found, in different warm environments, the use of local cooling devices by the elderly results in an mean skin temperature decrease of no more than 0.5 °C. The thermal sensation in the head and torso has the most significant impact on overall thermal sensation. The mean skin temperature (MST) remains an effective physiological indicator for estimating overall thermal sensation after using local cooling devices. The skin temperature in the head, limbs, and extremities plays a substantial role in predicting overall thermal sensation. The thermosensory mean skin temperature (TMST) proposed based on the skin temperature of these parts can more accurately predict overall thermal sensation than MST. This study provides a reference for the development of future local cooling devices. This study has implications for guiding the selection of devices for nursing homes or residential environments for the elderly, and it can be utilized to formulate recommendations for improving device design.

Original language	English
Article number	111217
Journal	Building and Environment
Volume	251
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111217
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2024
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

The Aalto University Research Ethics Committee authorized and supported this study (D/793/03.04/2021, approved on September 23, 2021). Participants included 26 healthy Finnish elderly people, 7 males and 19 females. Table 3 provides information on the participants, each of whom participated in the experiment once per week for 5 weeks. Because not every participant was able to participate each time, the number of test participants (N) in each condition varied. The experiment included five conditions: neutral (26 °C, 40 % RH, N = 26), slightly warm (29 °C, 40 % RH, N = 24; 28 °C, 60 % RH, N = 26), and warm (33 °C, 40 % RH, N = 20; 32 °C, 50 % RH, N = 23).This study is part of the following projects: HEATCLIM (Heat and health in the changing climate, Grant Numbers. 329306, 329307) funded by the Academy of Finland within the CLIHE (Climate change and health) program, and the author Minzhou Chen would like to thank financial support from the China Scholarship Council. This study is part of the following projects: HEATCLIM (Heat and health in the changing climate, Grant Numbers. 329306 , 329307 ) funded by the Academy of Finland within the CLIHE (Climate change and health) program, and the author Minzhou Chen would like to thank financial support from the China Scholarship Council .

Keywords

Core temperature
Elderly people
Local cooling
Skin temperature
Thermal sensation
Warm environment

Access to Document

10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111217Licence: CC BY

1-s2.0-S0360132324000593-mainFinal published version, 9.78 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{065b0b36e1a648e8b40f5777e84d6b48,

title = "Evaluating thermal response when elderly people using local cooling devices : Correlation among overall and local thermal sensation with skin temperature",

abstract = "The thermal comfort of elderly people in warm indoor environments is important because of their higher risk of heat stress. The use of local cooling devices may help alleviate heat stress. In this study, 26 elderly participants were recruited for climate chamber experiments in neutral (26 °C, 40 \% relative humidity (RH)), slightly warm (29 °C, 40 \% RH; 28 °C, 60 \% RH), and warm (33 °C, 40 \% RH; 32 °C, 50 \% RH) environments. Three local cooling devices were tested: a table fan, evaporative cooling device, and air-cooled jacket. This study found, in different warm environments, the use of local cooling devices by the elderly results in an mean skin temperature decrease of no more than 0.5 °C. The thermal sensation in the head and torso has the most significant impact on overall thermal sensation. The mean skin temperature (MST) remains an effective physiological indicator for estimating overall thermal sensation after using local cooling devices. The skin temperature in the head, limbs, and extremities plays a substantial role in predicting overall thermal sensation. The thermosensory mean skin temperature (TMST) proposed based on the skin temperature of these parts can more accurately predict overall thermal sensation than MST. This study provides a reference for the development of future local cooling devices. This study has implications for guiding the selection of devices for nursing homes or residential environments for the elderly, and it can be utilized to formulate recommendations for improving device design.",

keywords = "Core temperature, Elderly people, Local cooling, Skin temperature, Thermal sensation, Warm environment",

author = "Minzhou Chen and Jaafar Younes and Farahani, \{Azin Velashjerdi\} and Simo Kilpel{\"a}inen and Risto Kosonen and Nesreen Ghaddar and Kamel Ghali and Melikov, \{Arsen Krikor\}",

note = "Funding Information: The Aalto University Research Ethics Committee authorized and supported this study (D/793/03.04/2021, approved on September 23, 2021). Participants included 26 healthy Finnish elderly people, 7 males and 19 females. Table 3 provides information on the participants, each of whom participated in the experiment once per week for 5 weeks. Because not every participant was able to participate each time, the number of test participants (N) in each condition varied. The experiment included five conditions: neutral (26 °C, 40 \% RH, N = 26), slightly warm (29 °C, 40 \% RH, N = 24; 28 °C, 60 \% RH, N = 26), and warm (33 °C, 40 \% RH, N = 20; 32 °C, 50 \% RH, N = 23).This study is part of the following projects: HEATCLIM (Heat and health in the changing climate, Grant Numbers. 329306, 329307) funded by the Academy of Finland within the CLIHE (Climate change and health) program, and the author Minzhou Chen would like to thank financial support from the China Scholarship Council. Funding Information: This study is part of the following projects: HEATCLIM (Heat and health in the changing climate, Grant Numbers. 329306 , 329307 ) funded by the Academy of Finland within the CLIHE (Climate change and health) program, and the author Minzhou Chen would like to thank financial support from the China Scholarship Council . Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Authors",

year = "2024",

month = mar,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111217",

language = "English",

volume = "251",

journal = "Building and Environment",

issn = "0360-1323",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Evaluating thermal response when elderly people using local cooling devices : Correlation among overall and local thermal sensation with skin temperature

AU - Chen, Minzhou

AU - Younes, Jaafar

AU - Farahani, Azin Velashjerdi

AU - Kilpeläinen, Simo

AU - Kosonen, Risto

AU - Ghaddar, Nesreen

AU - Ghali, Kamel

AU - Melikov, Arsen Krikor

N1 - Funding Information: The Aalto University Research Ethics Committee authorized and supported this study (D/793/03.04/2021, approved on September 23, 2021). Participants included 26 healthy Finnish elderly people, 7 males and 19 females. Table 3 provides information on the participants, each of whom participated in the experiment once per week for 5 weeks. Because not every participant was able to participate each time, the number of test participants (N) in each condition varied. The experiment included five conditions: neutral (26 °C, 40 % RH, N = 26), slightly warm (29 °C, 40 % RH, N = 24; 28 °C, 60 % RH, N = 26), and warm (33 °C, 40 % RH, N = 20; 32 °C, 50 % RH, N = 23).This study is part of the following projects: HEATCLIM (Heat and health in the changing climate, Grant Numbers. 329306, 329307) funded by the Academy of Finland within the CLIHE (Climate change and health) program, and the author Minzhou Chen would like to thank financial support from the China Scholarship Council. Funding Information: This study is part of the following projects: HEATCLIM (Heat and health in the changing climate, Grant Numbers. 329306 , 329307 ) funded by the Academy of Finland within the CLIHE (Climate change and health) program, and the author Minzhou Chen would like to thank financial support from the China Scholarship Council . Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors

PY - 2024/3/1

Y1 - 2024/3/1

N2 - The thermal comfort of elderly people in warm indoor environments is important because of their higher risk of heat stress. The use of local cooling devices may help alleviate heat stress. In this study, 26 elderly participants were recruited for climate chamber experiments in neutral (26 °C, 40 % relative humidity (RH)), slightly warm (29 °C, 40 % RH; 28 °C, 60 % RH), and warm (33 °C, 40 % RH; 32 °C, 50 % RH) environments. Three local cooling devices were tested: a table fan, evaporative cooling device, and air-cooled jacket. This study found, in different warm environments, the use of local cooling devices by the elderly results in an mean skin temperature decrease of no more than 0.5 °C. The thermal sensation in the head and torso has the most significant impact on overall thermal sensation. The mean skin temperature (MST) remains an effective physiological indicator for estimating overall thermal sensation after using local cooling devices. The skin temperature in the head, limbs, and extremities plays a substantial role in predicting overall thermal sensation. The thermosensory mean skin temperature (TMST) proposed based on the skin temperature of these parts can more accurately predict overall thermal sensation than MST. This study provides a reference for the development of future local cooling devices. This study has implications for guiding the selection of devices for nursing homes or residential environments for the elderly, and it can be utilized to formulate recommendations for improving device design.

AB - The thermal comfort of elderly people in warm indoor environments is important because of their higher risk of heat stress. The use of local cooling devices may help alleviate heat stress. In this study, 26 elderly participants were recruited for climate chamber experiments in neutral (26 °C, 40 % relative humidity (RH)), slightly warm (29 °C, 40 % RH; 28 °C, 60 % RH), and warm (33 °C, 40 % RH; 32 °C, 50 % RH) environments. Three local cooling devices were tested: a table fan, evaporative cooling device, and air-cooled jacket. This study found, in different warm environments, the use of local cooling devices by the elderly results in an mean skin temperature decrease of no more than 0.5 °C. The thermal sensation in the head and torso has the most significant impact on overall thermal sensation. The mean skin temperature (MST) remains an effective physiological indicator for estimating overall thermal sensation after using local cooling devices. The skin temperature in the head, limbs, and extremities plays a substantial role in predicting overall thermal sensation. The thermosensory mean skin temperature (TMST) proposed based on the skin temperature of these parts can more accurately predict overall thermal sensation than MST. This study provides a reference for the development of future local cooling devices. This study has implications for guiding the selection of devices for nursing homes or residential environments for the elderly, and it can be utilized to formulate recommendations for improving device design.

KW - Core temperature

KW - Elderly people

KW - Local cooling

KW - Skin temperature

KW - Thermal sensation

KW - Warm environment

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85184031169

U2 - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111217

DO - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111217

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85184031169

SN - 0360-1323

VL - 251

JO - Building and Environment

JF - Building and Environment

M1 - 111217

ER -

Evaluating thermal response when elderly people using local cooling devices : Correlation among overall and local thermal sensation with skin temperature

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

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Kuumuuden terveyshaitat muuttuvassa ilmastossa

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Evaluating thermal response when elderly people using local cooling devices : Correlation among overall and local thermal sensation with skin temperature

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Kuumuuden terveyshaitat muuttuvassa ilmastossa

Cite this