Abstract
Background: Office workers spend most of their time engaged in sedentary tasks. Dissatisfaction with the thermal environment can reduce work efficiency and productivity. Objectives: This study presents the condensed results of a scoping review of the scientific literature assessing thermal sensation (TS) and thermal comfort (TC). The scoping review focuses on the experimental assessment of TS and TC. Eligibility criteria: The scoping review only considered peer-reviewed articles written in English. Grey literature, commissioned reports, and conference papers were excluded. Sources of evidence: The studies were retrieved from the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The search criteria considered the expression (“thermal comfort” OR “therm* sensation” OR “thermosensation”) AND (“sedentary”). Charting methods: The data charting process or data extraction was based on the preparation of tables to compile the key findings of the selected articles. Results and conclusions: In total, 39 peer-reviewed articles were considered suitable for the scoping review. The scoping review shows that the existing international standards to predict TC may fail when multisensorial aspects are considered, when TS and TC are assessed over different times during the exposure to a thermal environment, and when different populations are considered.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Kim, Y., Welk, G.J.: Characterizing the context of sedentary lifestyles in a representative sample of adults: a cross-sectional study from the physical activity measurement study project. BMC Public Health 15, 1218 (2015)
Thorp, A.A., et al.: Prolonged sedentary time and physical activity in workplace and non-work contexts: a cross-sectional study of office, customer service and call centre employees. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 9(1), 128 (2012)
Moher, D., et al.: Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Syst. Rev. 4(1) (2015)
Tricco, A.C., et al.: PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation the PRISMA-ScR statement. Ann. Intern. Med. 169(7), 467–473 (2018)
SBRN: Letter to the Editor: Standardized use of the terms “sedentary” and “sedentary behaviours”. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 37(3), 540–542 (2012)
Arens, E., Zhang, H., Huizenga, C.: Partial and whole-body thermal sensation and comfort—part I: uniform environmental conditions. J. Therm. Biol 31(1), 53–59 (2006)
Gagge, A.P., Stolwijk, J.A.J., Hardy, J.D.: Comfort and thermal sensations and associated physiological responses at various ambient temperatures. Environ. Res. 1(1), 1–20 (1967)
Moher, D., et al.: Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLOS Med. 6(7), e1000097 (2009)
Garretón, J.Y., Rodriguez, R., Pattini, A.: Effects of perceived indoor temperature on daylight glare perception. Build. Res. Inf. 44(8), 907–919 (2016)
Kakitsuba, N.: Effect of change in ambient temperature on core temperature of female subjects during the daytime and its sex differences. Int. J. Biometeorol. (2019)
Kakitsuba, N., White, M.D.: Effect of change in ambient temperature on core temperature during the daytime. Int. J. Biometeorol. 58(5), 901–907 (2014)
Lee, J.Y., et al.: Does wearing thermal underwear in mild cold affect skin temperatures and perceived thermal sensation in the hands and feet of the elderly? J. Physiol. Anthropol. 27(6), 301–308 (2008)
Kubo, H., Isoda, N., Enomoto-Koshimizu, H.: Cooling effects of preferred air velocity in muggy conditions. Build. Environ. 32(3), 211–218 (1997)
ISO: ISO 7730:2005—Ergonomics of the Thermal Environment—Analytical Determination and Interpretation of Thermal Comfort Using Calculation of the PMV and PPD Indices and Local Thermal Comfort Criteria. International Organization for Standardization, Switzerland (2005)
ASHRAE: ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-2010. Thermal environmental conditions for human occupancy. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, United States of America (2010)
Griffiths, I.D., McIntyre, D.A.: Sensitivity to temporal variations in thermal conditions. Ergonomics 17(4), 499–507 (1974)
Zhang, Y., Zhao, R.: Overall thermal sensation, acceptability and comfort. Build. Environ. 43(1), 44–50 (2008)
Du, C., et al.: Quantifying the cooling efficiency of air velocity by heat loss from skin surface in warm and hot environments. Build. Environ. 136, 146–155 (2018)
Choi, J.W., Lee, J.Y., Kim, S.Y.: Effects of thermal underwear on thermal and subjective responses in winter. J. Physiol. Anthropol. Appl. Human Sci. 22(1), 29–36 (2003)
McIntyre, D.A., Griffiths, I.D., Griffiths, I.D.: The effects of added clothing on warmth and comfort in cool conditions. Ergonomics 18(2), 205–211 (1975)
Kwon, J., Choi, J.: The relationship between environmental temperature and clothing insulation across a year. Int. J. Biometeorol. 56(5), 887–893 (2012)
McIntyre, D.A.: Response to atmospheric humidity at comfortable air temperature: a comparison of three experiments. Ann. Work Exposures Health 21(2), 177–190 (1978)
Berglund, L.G., Gonzalez, R.R.: Evaporation of sweat from sedentary man in humid environments. J. Appl. Physiol. Respir. Environ. Exerc. Physiol. 42(5), 767–772 (1977)
Jin, L., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Z.: Human responses to high humidity in elevated temperatures for people in hot-humid climates. Build. Environ. 114, 257–266 (2017)
Kakitsuba, N.: Physiological responses to changes in relative humidity under thermally neutral, warm and hot conditions. J. Therm. Biol. 59, 86–91 (2016)
Lee, J.Y., Nakao, K., Tochihara, Y.: Validity of perceived skin wettedness mapping to evaluate heat strain. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 111(10), 2581–2591 (2011)
Rohles, Jr, F.H., Nevins, R.G.: Thermal comfort: new directions and standards. Aerosp. Med. 44(7) (1973)
Toftum, J., Jørgensen, A.S., Fanger, P.O.: Upper limits for indoor air humidity to avoid uncomfortably humid skin. Energy Build. 28(1), 1–13 (1998)
Fan, X., Liu, W., Wargocki, P.: Physiological and psychological reactions of sub-tropically acclimatized subjects exposed to different indoor temperatures at a relative humidity of 70%. Indoor Air 29(2), 215–230 (2019)
Pellerin, N., Candas, V.: Effects of steady-state noise and temperature conditions on environmental perception and acceptability. Indoor Air 14(2), 129–136 (2004)
Fanger, P.O., Breum, N.O., Jerking, E.: Can colour and noise influence man’s thermal comfort? Ergonomics 20(1), 11–18 (1977)
Rohles, F.H., Wells, W.V.: Interior design. Comfort and thermal sensitivity. J. Inter. Des. 2(2), 36–44 (1976)
Fanger, P.O., et al.: Thermal comfort conditions during day and night. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. Occup. Physiol. 33(4), 255–263 (1974)
Fanger, P.O., Højbjerre, J., Thomsen, J.O.B.: Thermal comfort conditions in the morning and in the evening. Int. J. Biometeorol. 18(1), 16–22 (1974)
Yang, W., Moon, H.J.: Combined effects of acoustic, thermal, and illumination conditions on the comfort of discrete senses and overall indoor environment. Build. Environ. 148, 623–633 (2019)
Beshir, M.Y., Ramsey, J.D.: Comparison between male and female subjective estimates of thermal effects and sensations. Appl. Ergon. 12(1), 29–33 (1981)
Castellani, J.W., et al.: Effect of localized microclimate heating on peripheral skin temperatures and manual dexterity during cold exposure. J. Appl. Physiol. 125(5), 1498–1510 (2018)
Wyon, D.P., et al.: The mental performance of subjects clothed for comfort at two different air temperatures. Ergonomics 18(4), 359–374 (1975)
Chow, T.T., et al.: Thermal sensation of Hong Kong people with increased air speed, temperature and humidity in air-conditioned environment. Build. Environ. 45(10), 2177–2183 (2010)
Chung, T.M., Tong, W.C.: Thermal comfort study of young Chinese people in Hong Kong. Build. Environ. 25(4), 317–328 (1990)
Grivel, F., Candas, V.: Ambient temperatures preferred by young European males and females at rest. Ergonomics 34(3), 365–378 (1991)
Zhang, Z., Zhang, Y., Jin, L.: Thermal comfort of rural residents in a hot–humid area. Build. Res. Inf. 45(1–2), 209–221 (2017)
Cheng, Y., Lin, Z.: Experimental investigation into the interaction between the human body and room airflow and its effect on thermal comfort under stratum ventilation. Indoor Air 26(2), 274–285 (2016)
Oseland, N.A.: Predicted and reported thermal sensation in climate chambers, offices and homes. Energy Build. 23(2), 105–115 (1995)
Gonzales, B.R., et al.: Effects of polyester jerseys on psycho-physiological responses during exercise in a hot and moist environment. J. Strength Cond. Res. 25(12), 3432–3438 (2011)
McIntyre, D.A.: Thermal sensation. A comparison of rating scales and cross modality matching. Int. J. Biometeorol. 20(4), 295–303 (1976)
Hasebe, Y., Iriki, M., Takahasi, K.: Usefulness of R-R interval and its variability in evaluation of thermal comfort. Int. J. Biometeorol. 38(3), 116–121 (1995)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Costa, D., Guedes, J.C., Baptista, J.S. (2020). Experimental Assessment of Thermal Sensation and Thermal Comfort of Sedentary Subjects: A Scoping Review. In: Arezes, P., et al. Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health II. Studies in Systems, Decision and Control, vol 277. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41486-3_46
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41486-3_46
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-41485-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-41486-3
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)