The Thermal Environment of Housing and Its Implications for the Health of Older People in South Australia: A Mixed-Methods Study

Older people are often over-represented in morbidity and mortality statistics associated with hot and cold weather, despite remaining mostly indoors. The study “Improving thermal environment of housing for older Australians” focused on assessing the relationships between the indoor environment, building characteristics, thermal comfort and perceived health/wellbeing of older South Australians over a study period that included the warmest summer on record. Our findings showed that indoor temperatures in some of the houses reached above 35 °C. With concerns about energy costs, occupants often use adaptive behaviours to achieve thermal comfort instead of using cooling (or heating), although feeling less satisfied with the thermal environment and perceiving health/wellbeing to worsen at above 28 °C (and below 15 °C). Symptoms experienced during hot weather included tiredness, shortness of breath, sleeplessness and dizziness, with coughs and colds, painful joints, shortness of breath and influenza experienced during cold weather. To express the influence of temperature and humidity on perceived health/wellbeing, a Temperature Humidity Health Index (THHI) was developed for this cohort. A health/wellbeing perception of “very good” is achieved between an 18.4 °C and 24.3 °C indoor operative temperature and a 55% relative humidity. The evidence from this research is used to inform guidelines about maintaining home environments to be conducive to the health/wellbeing of older people.

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Thermal Personalities of Older People in South Australia: A Personas-Based Approach to Develop Thermal Comfort Guidelines

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17228402 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (22) ◽

pp. 8402

Author(s):

Helen Bennetts ◽

Larissa Arakawa Martins ◽

Joost van Hoof ◽

Veronica Soebarto

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

Thermal Environment ◽

South Australia ◽

Personal Characteristics ◽

Hierarchical Cluster ◽

Well Being ◽

Wide Range ◽

Using Data ◽

Study Participants

An important consideration for future age-friendly cities is that older people are able to live in housing appropriate for their needs. While thermal comfort in the home is vital for the health and well-being of older people, there are currently few guidelines about how to achieve this. This study is part of a research project that aims to improve the thermal environment of housing for older Australians by investigating the thermal comfort of older people living independently in South Australia and developing thermal comfort guidelines for people ageing-in-place. This paper describes the approach fundamental for developing the guidelines, using data from the study participants’ and the concept of personas to develop a number of discrete “thermal personalities”. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) was implemented to analyse the features of research participants, resulting in six distinct clusters. Quantitative and qualitative data from earlier stages of the project were then used to develop the thermal personalities of each cluster. The thermal personalities represent different approaches to achieving thermal comfort, taking into account a wide range of factors including personal characteristics, ideas, beliefs and knowledge, house type, and location. Basing the guidelines on thermal personalities highlights the heterogeneity of older people and the context-dependent nature of thermal comfort in the home and will make the guidelines more user-friendly and useful.

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The Living Environment and Thermal Behaviours of Older South Australians: A Multi-Focus Group Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16060935 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (6) ◽

pp. 935 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Joost van Hoof ◽

Helen Bennetts ◽

Alana Hansen ◽

Jan Kazak ◽

Veronica Soebarto

Keyword(s):

Focus Group ◽

Older People ◽

Thermal Sensitivity ◽

South Australia ◽

Living Environment ◽

Cold Weather ◽

Personal Factors ◽

Focus Group Study ◽

Heating And Cooling ◽

House Design

Ageing brings about physiological changes that affect people’s thermal sensitivity and thermoregulation. The majority of older Australians prefer to age in place and modifications to the home environment are often required to accommodate the occupants as they age and possibly become frail. However, modifications to aid thermal comfort are not always considered. Using a qualitative approach this study aims to understand the thermal qualities of the existing living environment of older South Australians, their strategies for keeping cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather and to identify existing problems related to planning and house design, and the use of heating and cooling. Data were gathered via seven focus group sessions with 49 older people living in three climate zones in South Australia. The sessions yielded four main themes, namely ‘personal factors’, ‘feeling’, ‘knowing’ and ‘doing’. These themes can be used as a basis to develop information and guidelines for older people in dealing with hot and cold weather.

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Passive space design, building environment and thermal comfort: A university building under severe cold climate, China

Indoor and Built Environment ◽

10.1177/1420326x20939234 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1420326X2093923

Author(s):

Jin Dai ◽

Shuguang Jiang

Keyword(s):

Thermal Comfort ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Thermal Environment ◽

Measurement Data ◽

Cold Climate ◽

Thermal Perception ◽

Space Design ◽

Building Environment ◽

Adaptive Behaviours ◽

The Impact

In this paper, the building environment and the thermal comfort of occupants were investigated at a university building located in severe cold climate zone in the northwest of China during winter, transition and summer. First, in the two typical weather days of the year, the thermal environment of the Shihezi University building with atrium and courtyard was measured on the spot to investigate the impact of passive space design on the thermal environment of the building. Second, a questionnaire survey was used to report occupants’ subjective thermal perception and environmental variables were measured simultaneously. A total of 1346 valid subjective questionnaires and measurement data were obtained. The results showed that the thermal neutral temperature analysed by linear regression in winter, transition and summer were 24.42°C, 24.64°C and 28.10°C, respectively. The thermal comfort temperature range was from 19.59 to 29.44°C (winter) and 23.32 to 28.52°C (transition and summer). The occupants’ preference temperature was 25.14°C and 24.35°C in winter and transition. The adaptive behaviours of clothing adjustment and opening windows were closely correlated to the indoor operative temperature. Third, the correlation between indicators of thermal comfort, including subjective feelings and objective factors was also analysed.

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Evaluating the Connection between Thermal Comfort and Productivity in Buildings: A Systematic Literature Review

Buildings ◽

10.3390/buildings11060244 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 244

Author(s):

Ana Maria Bueno ◽

Antonio Augusto de Paula Xavier ◽

Evandro Eduardo Broday

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

Systematic Literature Review ◽

Thermal Environment ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Personal Factors ◽

Exclusion Criteria ◽

Environment Variables ◽

Main Factors ◽

Combination Of Methods

The thermal environment is one of the main factors that influence thermal comfort and, consequently, the productivity of occupants inside buildings. Throughout the years, research has described the connection between thermal comfort and productivity. Mathematical models have been established in the attempt to predict changes in productivity according to thermal variations in the environment. Some of these models have failed for a number of reasons, including the understanding of the effect that several environment variables have had on performance. From this context, a systematic literature review was carried out with the aim of verifying the connection between thermal comfort and productivity and the combinations of different thermal and personal factors that can have an effect on productivity. A hundred and twenty-eight articles were found which show a connection between productivity and some thermal comfort variables. By means of specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, 60 articles were selected for a final analysis. The main conclusions found in this study were: (i) the vast majority of research uses subjective measures and/or a combination of methods to evaluate productivity; (ii) performance/productivity can be attained within an ampler temperature range; (iii) few studies present ways of calculating productivity.

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Examining the magnitude and perception of summertime overheating in London care homes

Building Services Engineering Research and Technology ◽

10.1177/01436244211013645 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 014362442110136

Author(s):

Rajat Gupta ◽

Alastair Howard ◽

Mike Davies ◽

Anna Mavrogianni ◽

Ioanna Tsoulou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thermal Comfort ◽

Care Home ◽

Thermal Conditions ◽

Care Homes ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Night Time ◽

Institutional Practices ◽

Subjective Data ◽

Hybrid Buildings ◽

Hot Weather

This paper brings together objective and subjective data on indoor temperature and thermal comfort to examine the magnitude and perception of summertime overheating in two London-based care homes occupying modern and older buildings. Continuous monitoring of indoor and outdoor temperature, relative humidity and CO2 levels was conducted in summer 2019 along with thermal comfort surveys and semi-structured interviews with older residents and staff of the care settings. Indoor temperatures were found to be high (>30°C) with bedroom temperatures often higher at night than daytime across both care settings. Limited opening due to window restrictors constrained night-time ventilation. Overheating was prevalent with four out of the five monitored bedrooms failing all four overheating metrics investigated. While 35–42% of staff responses perceived indoor temperatures to be uncomfortably hot, only 13–19% of resident responses were found to do so, indicating that elderly residents tend to be relatively insensitive to heat, leaving them open to overheating without realising it. Residents and staff in the modern care setting were less satisfied with their thermal conditions. As hybrid buildings, care settings need to keep both residents and staff comfortable and healthy during hot weather through night-time ventilation, management of heating and supportive institutional practices. Practical application: Care home designs have focused on keeping residents warm through the winter, neglecting the risks of summertime overheating. Care homes are hybrid buildings serving as living spaces for vulnerable older residents and offices/workspaces for staff. Providing comfort to both groups during periods of hot weather is challenging. Opportunities for ventilation are limited by Health & Safety regulations that mandate up to 10 cm maximum window openings and institutional practices that result in windows routinely kept closed, particularly at night. Utilising natural and where possible cross-ventilation should be considered along with external shading. Heating should be managed to avoid unwanted heat gains in the summer.

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Development of a Deep Neural Network Model for Estimating Joint Location of Occupant Indoor Activities for Providing Thermal Comfort

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14030696 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 696

Author(s):

Eun Ji Choi ◽

Jin Woo Moon ◽

Ji-hoon Han ◽

Yongseok Yoo

Keyword(s):

Neural Network ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

Deep Neural Network ◽

Mean Squared Error ◽

Thermal Environment ◽

The Body ◽

Estimation Accuracy ◽

Accurate Estimation ◽

Body Parts ◽

Joint Location

The type of occupant activities is a significantly important factor to determine indoor thermal comfort; thus, an accurate method to estimate occupant activity needs to be developed. The purpose of this study was to develop a deep neural network (DNN) model for estimating the joint location of diverse human activities, which will be used to provide a comfortable thermal environment. The DNN model was trained with images to estimate 14 joints of a person performing 10 common indoor activities. The DNN contained numerous shortcut connections for efficient training and had two stages of sequential and parallel layers for accurate joint localization. Estimation accuracy was quantified using the mean squared error (MSE) for the estimated joints and the percentage of correct parts (PCP) for the body parts. The results show that the joint MSEs for the head and neck were lowest, and the PCP was highest for the torso. The PCP for individual activities ranged from 0.71 to 0.92, while typing and standing in a relaxed manner were the activities with the highest PCP. Estimation accuracy was higher for relatively still activities and lower for activities involving wide-ranging arm or leg motion. This study thus highlights the potential for the accurate estimation of occupant indoor activities by proposing a novel DNN model. This approach holds significant promise for finding the actual type of occupant activities and for use in target indoor applications related to thermal comfort in buildings.

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How Can We Adapt Thermal Comfort for Disabled Patients? A Case Study of French Healthcare Buildings in Summer

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14154530 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (15) ◽

pp. 4530

Author(s):

Youcef Bouzidi ◽

Zoubayre El Akili ◽

Antoine Gademer ◽

Nacef Tazi ◽

Adil Chahboun

Keyword(s):

Thermal Comfort ◽

Thermal Environment ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Physical Parameters ◽

Mean Radiant Temperature ◽

Operative Temperature ◽

Neutral Temperature ◽

Radiant Temperature

This paper investigates adaptive thermal comfort during summer in medical residences that are located in the French city of Troyes and managed by the Association of Parents of Disabled Children (APEI). Thermal comfort in these buildings is evaluated using subjective measurements and objective physical parameters. The thermal sensations of respondents were determined by questionnaires, while thermal comfort was estimated using the predicted mean vote (PMV) model. Indoor environmental parameters (relative humidity, mean radiant temperature, air temperature, and air velocity) were measured using a thermal environment sensor during the summer period in July and August 2018. A good correlation was found between operative temperature, mean radiant temperature, and PMV. The neutral temperature was determined by linear regression analysis of the operative temperature and Fanger’s PMV model. The obtained neutral temperature is 23.7 °C. Based on the datasets and questionnaires, the adaptive coefficient α representing patients’ capacity to adapt to heat was found to be 1.261. A strong correlation was also observed between the sequential thermal index n(t) and the adaptive temperature. Finally, a new empirical model of adaptive temperature was developed using the data collected from a longitudinal survey in four residential buildings of APEI in summer, and the obtained adaptive temperature is 25.0 °C with upper and lower limits of 24.7 °C and 25.4 °C.

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Thermal comfort analysis of a high-speed train cabin considering the solar radiation effects

Indoor and Built Environment ◽

10.1177/1420326x19876082 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (8) ◽

pp. 1101-1117

Author(s):

Lin Yang ◽

Xiangdong Li ◽

Jiyuan Tu

Keyword(s):

Solar Radiation ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

High Speed ◽

Radiation Effects ◽

Numerical Study ◽

Thermal Conditions ◽

Long Distance ◽

High Speed Rail ◽

Hot Weather ◽

Cabin Environment

Due to the fast development of high-speed rail (HSR) around the world, high-speed trains (HSTs) are becoming a strong competitor against airliners in terms of long-distance travel. Compared with airliner cabins, HST cabins have much larger window sizes. When the big windows provide better lighting and view of the scenery, they also have significant effects on the thermal conditions in the cabins due to the solar radiation through them. This study presents a numerical study on the solar radiation on the thermal comfort in a typical HST cabin. The effect of solar radiation was discussed in terms of airflow pattern, temperature distribution and thermal comfort indices. Parametric studies with seven different daytime hours were carried out. The effect of using the roller curtain was also studied. The overall cabin air temperature, especially near passengers, was found to have significantly increased by solar radiation. Passengers sitting next to windows were recorded to have an obvious thermal comfort variation at different hours of the day. To improve the passengers’ comfort and reduce energy consumption during hot weather, the use of a curtain could effectively reduce the solar radiation effect in the cabin environment.

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Physical Activity, Ability to Walk, Weight Status, and Multimorbidity Levels in Older Spanish People: The National Health Survey (2009–2017)

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17124333 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (12) ◽

pp. 4333

Author(s):

Pedro Ángel Latorre-Román ◽

Juan Manuel Carmona-Torres ◽

Ana Isabel Cobo-Cuenca ◽

José Alberto Laredo-Aguilera

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Health Status ◽

Older People ◽

National Health ◽

Health Survey ◽

Weight Status ◽

Perceived Health ◽

National Health Survey ◽

Severe Difficulty ◽

Chronic Health Problems

Background. Many studies have shown a relationship between physical functioning and health status in older people. Aim. The purpose of this study was to analyze the temporal trends of physical activity (PA), ability to walk, weight status, self-perceived health, and disease or chronic health problems in people over 65 years from 2009 to 2017, using the European Health Survey in Spain and the National Health Survey in Spain. Methods. This study included 13,049 older people: 6026 (2330 men and 3696 women; age (mean, SD (Standard Deviation)) = 75.61 ± 7.11 years old) in 2009 and 7023 (2850 men and 4173 women; age (mean, SD) = 76.01 ± 7.57 years old) in 2017. Results. In 2017, older people exhibited lower values of moderate PA (p < 0.001), a lower number of hours of walking per week (p < 0.001), and worse self-perceived health status (p < 0.001) compared to 2009. These differences are maintained when comparing the sexes. Compliance with PA recommendations was 27.9% and 6.1% (chi-squared = 352.991, p < 0.001) in 2009 and 2017, respectively. There were no significant differences in weight status between older people in 2009 and 2017. In 2017, older people had significantly high percentages of disease or chronic health problems (p < 0.05), number of diseases (p < 0.001), severe difficulty walking 500 m without assistance (p < 0.05), and severe difficulty going up or down 12 stairs. Conclusions. From 2009 to 2017, Spanish older people worsened their PA levels and perception of their health status, and they increased their disease levels, which could be associated with the worsening of ability to walk in 2017.

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