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

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).