Adolescents’ thermal comfort and skin temperature compared to young adults

Abstract

This study compared thermal comfort and skin temperature of adolescents and young adults to analyze the difference in their thermal responses. In a climate chamber with increasing air temperature from 18 ℃ to 32 ℃, skin temperature was measured at seven body parts with survey responses. As a result, the indoor environment, thermal comfort, and skin temperature have significant correlations, and there were differences between adolescents and adults in their responses. The neutral temperature of adolescents was slightly lower than that of adults. Generally, adolescents have a higher mean skin temperature than adults, and the hand skin temperature of the adult male group changed much sensitively corresponding to their thermal sensation than others. The difference in thermal comfort and related skin temperature implies the need for investigating adolescents as a separate group from adults for accurate thermal comfort prediction. The results are expected to be used for optimal environmental settings for adolescents.