Thermal Comfort in School Classes in the Era of Global Warming: A Prospective Multicenter Study

• Published in: The Journal of school health 2021-02, Vol.91 (2), p.146-154
• Main Authors: Golshan, Taylor, Lande, Sarah, Nickfardjam, Kaitlyn, Cohensedgh, Sabrina, Roitblat, Yulia, Nehuliaieva, Liliia, Khabie, David, Stillman, Ruby, Volynsky‐Lauson, Anna, Mametov, Kadri, Shterenshis, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adolescent health; Adolescents; Change; Classes; Classroom Environment; Classrooms; Climate; Climate change; Climatic changes; Cold; Comfort; Cross Cultural Studies; cross‐national research; Discomfort; Educational aspects; Environmental aspects; Geographic Location; Global warming; Heat; Heating, cooling and ventilation; High School Students; Multicenter studies; Pediatrics; Physiology; Polls & surveys; school physical environment; Scores; Secondary school students; Secondary schools; Student Attitudes; Student Surveys; Students; Surveys; Teenagers; thermal comfort
• ISSN: 0022-4391; 1746-1561
• DOI: 10.1111/josh.12986

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND We investigated adolescents' feelings of thermal comfort during the educational process in various geographical locations far apart and present recommendations for the adjustment of the thermal environment in schools. METHODS The prospective international multicenter study took place in 8 locations on different continents. The survey in the form of a questionnaire was carried out among 2800 healthy high school students. The study was divided into “cold season survey,” “warm‐season survey,” and heat wave survey. RESULTS The statistically significant difference between the “cold season survey” score of 4.04 (discomfort) and “warm‐season survey” score of 3.47 (slight discomfort) (p = .04) indicates that students feel more thermal discomfort during winter months in all 8 locations. The heat wave survey score was 4.53 (discomfort). During the cold season, 29.24% of high school students felt themselves in full thermal comfort and 76.48% of the students felt themselves relatively comfortable (slightly cool—comfortable—slightly warm). CONCLUSIONS Even during the ongoing process of climate change, the cold season discomfort remains the main problem for students in classes. This tendency is present in different continents as a universal problem. We recommend keeping an entrance hall and classroom temperatures at different levels and to advise students about proper clothing.