Max Planck Research Group Translational Sensory & Circadian Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.
TUM School of Medicine and Health, Department Health and Sports Sciences, Chronobiology & Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Nov 26;24(1):3285. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20206-4.
Light profoundly impacts many aspects of human physiology and behaviour, including the synchronization of the circadian clock, the production of melatonin, and cognition. These effects of light, termed the non-visual effects of light, have been primarily investigated in laboratory settings, where light intensity, spectrum and timing can be carefully controlled to draw associations with physiological outcomes of interest. Recently, the increasing availability of wearable light loggers has opened the possibility of studying personal light exposure in free-living conditions where people engage in activities of daily living, yielding findings associating aspects of light exposure and health outcomes, supporting the importance of adequate light exposure at appropriate times for human health. However, comprehensive protocols capturing environmental (e.g., geographical location, season, climate, photoperiod) and individual factors (e.g., culture, personal habits, behaviour, commute type, profession) contributing to the measured light exposure are currently lacking. Here, we present a protocol that combines smartphone-based experience sampling (experience sampling implementing Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, KSS ratings) and high-quality light exposure data collection at three body sites (near-corneal plane between the two eyes mounted on spectacle, neck-worn pendant/badge, and wrist-worn watch-like design) to capture daily factors related to individuals' light exposure. We will implement the protocol in an international multi-centre study to investigate the environmental and socio-cultural factors influencing light exposure patterns in Germany, Ghana, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey (minimum n = 15, target n = 30 per site, minimum n = 90, target n = 180 across all sites). With the resulting dataset, lifestyle and context-specific factors that contribute to healthy light exposure will be identified. This information is essential in designing effective public health interventions.
光深刻影响着人类生理和行为的许多方面，包括生物钟的同步、褪黑素的产生和认知。这些光的作用，称为光的非视觉作用，主要在实验室环境中进行研究，在实验室环境中可以仔细控制光的强度、光谱和时间，以得出与感兴趣的生理结果的关联。最近，可穿戴光记录仪的日益普及使得在人们进行日常生活活动的自由生活条件下研究个人光暴露成为可能，得出了与光暴露和健康结果相关的方面的发现，支持在适当的时间进行足够的光暴露对人类健康的重要性。然而，目前还缺乏综合的方案来捕捉环境因素（例如地理位置、季节、气候、光周期）和个体因素（例如文化、个人习惯、行为、通勤类型、职业），这些因素会影响所测量的光暴露。在这里，我们提出了一个方案，该方案结合了基于智能手机的体验采样（体验采样实施 Karolinska 睡眠量表，KSS 评分）和三个身体部位的高质量光暴露数据采集（安装在眼镜之间的近角膜平面、佩戴在颈部的吊坠/徽章、以及佩戴在手腕上的手表状设计），以捕捉与个体光暴露相关的日常因素。我们将在一项国际多中心研究中实施该方案，以研究影响德国、加纳、荷兰、西班牙、瑞典和土耳其光暴露模式的环境和社会文化因素（每个地点的最小 n=15，目标 n=30；所有地点的最小 n=90，目标 n=180）。通过该方案产生的数据，将确定有助于健康光暴露的生活方式和具体环境因素。这些信息对于设计有效的公共卫生干预措施至关重要。
