Variables Influencing Heat Stress Response in Humans: A Review on Physical, Clothing, Acclimation and Health Factors

Tomi Zlatar, Teerayut Sa-ngiamsak, Gercica Macêdo

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this work was to investigate on additional variables influencing heat stress response of humans: physical characteristics, type of clothing; acclimation; illness history and medications taking. Background: Exposure to hot thermal environment is present in a great number of indoor and outdoor working activities, posing a risk for the human safety and health. There are six basic factors to take in consideration in heat exposure: air temperature, radiant temperature, relative humidity, air movement, metabolic heat production and clothing. Method: The review was conducted by using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, by using 32 keywords and expressions, screening through the Brazilian CAPES searching system. Results: The identification process resulted with 1148 articles. After applying the exclusion and inclusion criteria’s it resulted with 21 articles included in this review. In this review, 11 variables were analysed. Conclusion: It was concluded that future studies on human exposure to different thermal environments, should consider, apart from the basic factors, a number of other variables which influences heat stress response (the human physical characteristics as body mass index, age, gender, ethnicity, the phase of the menstrual cycle in female participants, illness history and medications intake, and acclimation of the participants).

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationStudies in Systems, Decision and Control
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages281-291
Number of pages11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameStudies in Systems, Decision and Control
Volume406
ISSN (Print)2198-4182
ISSN (Electronic)2198-4190

Keywords

  • Bias in heat stress
  • Hot thermal environment
  • Human factors
  • Thermoregulation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Variables Influencing Heat Stress Response in Humans: A Review on Physical, Clothing, Acclimation and Health Factors'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this