A human thermoregulation model for the Chinese elderly.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Elderly individuals exhibit reduced adaptability to environmental changes, increasing vulnerability to thermal discomfort and health risks.
• Existing thermoregulation models often overlook age and ethnic variations, limiting their applicability to diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a standard thermoregulation model tailored for Chinese elders.
• To individualize the standard model using key parameters for enhanced predictive accuracy.
• To validate both standard and individualized models against experimental data.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and adaptation of an existing model for Chinese young people.
• Development of a standard thermoregulation model for Chinese elders.
• Individualization of the model using height, weight, sex, and age.
• Validation of models using experimental and published data.

Main Results:

• The standard model demonstrated prediction-measurement discrepancies within the standard deviation of measurements for skin temperatures.
• The individualized model showed improvements over the standard model, notably for elderly males.
• External validation confirmed good agreement between model predictions and experimental measurements.

Conclusions:

• The developed thermoregulation models provide a basis for more accurate thermal comfort prediction in elderly Chinese populations.
• Individualized modeling enhances prediction accuracy, especially for specific demographic groups.
• These models can contribute to creating healthier and more comfortable indoor environments for the elderly.