Individualising thermal comfort models for older people : the effects of personal characteristics on comfort and wellbeing

摘要: As people age, physiological changes affect their thermal perception, sensitivity and regulation. The ability to respond effectively temperature fluctuations is compromised with ageing, upsetting the homeostatic balance of health in some. a result, older can become vulnerable at extremes conditions environment. With population ageing worldwide, it an imperative that there better understanding people’s needs preferences so comfort wellbeing living environment be optimised healthy achieved. However, complex affecting layers individual during process, although largely inevitable, cannot considered linear. They happen different stages, speeds intensities throughout resulting great level heterogeneity risk. Therefore, predicting requirements accurate way requires in-depth investigation intrinsic differences. This paper discusses exploratory study collected data from 71 participants, aged 65 or above, 57 households South Australia, over period 9 months 2019. The includes preliminary evaluation effects characteristics such as sex, body composition, frailty other factors, on comfort. It expected lens these diversity-causing parameters could lead development individualised models fully capture observed directly effective way. (article starts page 13)