Thermoregulatory Responses in the Elderly and the Young under the Ondol System

온돌난방에서 노인과 청년의 피부온 반응 비교

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of age on the human thermoregulatory responses and to obtain the basic information of the Korean thermophysiological characteristics under the traditional Korean floor heating system-Ondol. The participants consisted of 10 elderly women, 4 elderly men(over 65 years), 10 young women and 5 young men(in twenties). They were exposed to temperature-controlled Ondol room(20$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$, 50$\pm$5%R.H., floor surface temperature: 30$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$) for 60 minutes and wore the same experimental clothing. The postures were performed sitting and supine on the floor. In each pose, rectal temperature, skin.temperature of 10 areas, mean skin temperature, clothing microclimate, body fat were measured. The results were as follows; 1. The rectal temperature gradually decreased and mean skin temperature gradually increased in young and old groups in both supine and sitting pose on heated Ondol floor for 60 minutes. 2. Rectal temperature was different in each pose. The rectal temperature decreased 0.1$^{\circ}C$ in both groups under the condition of sitting and decreased 0.2'c in elderly group under the condition of supine. In supine pose, elderly group was more declined than young group. Mean skin temperature increased 0.5$^{\circ}C$ in both poses, both groups.