title: A ventilation cooling shirt worn during office work in a hot climate: cool or not?
abstract: The aim of the study was to identify whether a ventilation cooling shirt was effective in reducing heat strain in a hot climate. Eight female volunteers were exposed to heat (38 °C, 45% relative humidity) for 2 h with simulated office work. In the first hour they were in normal summer clothes (total thermal insulation 0.8 clo); in the second hour a ventilation cooling shirt was worn on top. After the shirt was introduced for 1 h, the skin temperatures at the scapula and the chest were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). The mean skin and core temperatures were not reduced. The subjects felt cooler and more comfortable by wearing the shirt, but the cooling effect was most conspicuous only during the initial 10 min. The cooling efficiency of the ventilation shirt was not very effective under the low physical activity in this hot climate.
authors.affiliation: a Shanghai University of Engineering Science , China.
authors.forename: Mengmeng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: b Lund University , Sweden.
authors.forename: Kalev
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuklane
authors.affiliation: b Lund University , Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lundgren
authors.affiliation: b Lund University , Sweden.
authors.forename: Chuansi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: c University of Alberta , Canada.
authors.forename: Faming
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D018882:Heat Stress Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011481:Protective Clothing; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D013546:Sweating / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cooling; heat strain; office work; ventilation