Author(s)

Yoshihito Kurazumi^1*, Emi Kondo², Kenta Fukagawa³, Reiko Hashimoto¹, Yoshiaki Yamato⁴, Kunihito Tobita⁵, Tomonori Sakoi⁶, Tadahiro Tsuchikawa⁷, Tetsumi Horikoshi⁸

¹School of Life Studies, Sugiyama Jogakuen University, Nagoya, Japan.
²Department of Architecture, Ariake National College of Technology, Omuta, Japan.
³Department of Architecture, Kyushu Sangyo University, Fukuoka, Japan.
⁴Department of Architecture and Structural Engineering, Kure National College of Technology, Kure, Japan.
⁵School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Japan.
⁶Kansei Engineering Course, Shinshu University, Ueda, Japan.
⁷School of Human Science & Environment, University of Hyogo, Himeji, Japan.
⁸Department of Architecture, Aichi Sangyo University, Okazaki, Japan.

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the effect localized heating of the feet has on physiological and psychological reactions of female in an air-conditioned environment in summer. In Japan, female office workers wear less clothing than their male counterparts. In an air-conditioned office space in summer, female conducts thermoregulation by putting on cardigans, etc. but this action does not greatly contribute to improving conditions for the legs and feet, the lower extremities of the body. The improvement of sensational and physiological temperature by localized warming of the body can contribute to a healthy working environment for female office workers, their safety, and a reduction in air conditioning’s energy expenditure. We used the indoor thermal environment evaluation index ETF to investigate the effect localized heating of the feet has on human physiological and psychological response in an air-conditioned environment in summer. The result of heating by means of heat conduction via the sole of the foot was expressed more strongly as a psychological effect than as a whole-body physiological effect. Heating by means of heat conduction via the sole of the foot was a thermal environment factor that compensates for a low temperature in whole-body thermal sensation and whole-body thermal comfort. The effect of heating due to heat conduction via the sole of the foot was expressed in the change in sole-of- the-foot skin temperature. Applying slight heat conduction by means of heating via the sole of the foot demonstrated the result of improved whole-body thermal sensation and whole-body thermal comfort.

Female, Office Worker, Sensitivity to Cold, Thermal Environment, Thermal Sense

Kurazumi, Y. , Kondo, E. , Fukagawa, K. , Hashimoto, R. , Yamato, Y. , Tobita, K. , Sakoi, T. , Tsuchikawa, T. and Horikoshi, T. (2016) Availability of Heat Conduction for Environmental Control Method to Improving Thermal Environment and Preventing Oversensitivity to Cold and Air-Conditioning Disease on Female Office Workers. Health, 8, 583-604. doi: 10.4236/health.2016.86062.