Kato Kyosuke, Nishi Takuto, Lee Sinyoung, Li Li, Evans Naoko, Kiyono Ken
Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Osaka 560-8531, Japan.
Sensors (Basel). 2025 Mar 15;25(6):1832. doi: 10.3390/s25061832.
In recent years, living and occupational environments have been increasingly exposed to extreme heat. While the risk of heatstroke rises with greater heat stress, conventional knowledge and safety standards may no longer adequately assess heat stress under such extreme conditions. To address this issue, we propose a method for evaluating heat stress using collective data from wearable biosensors that monitor heart rate and physical activity in a group of workers. The novelty of this approach lies in utilizing collective data from wearable biosensors to assess environmental heat stress rather than individual health status. To quantify heat stress in specific environments or conditions, we introduce the heart rate response intercept, defined as the heart rate at 1 MET when the heart rate response to physical activity is approximated linearly. Using this heat stress index, we examined the effects of ambient temperature, aging, and obesity on heat stress. Our findings indicate that heat stress among obese workers was significantly high and should not be overlooked. Furthermore, because this method can quantify the effectiveness of heatstroke countermeasures, it serves as a valuable tool for improving occupational environments.
近年来，生活和工作环境越来越多地暴露在极端高温之下。虽然中暑风险会随着热应激的增加而上升，但传统知识和安全标准可能已无法在这种极端条件下充分评估热应激。为解决这一问题，我们提出了一种利用可穿戴生物传感器的集体数据来评估热应激的方法，这些传感器可监测一组工人的心率和身体活动。这种方法的新颖之处在于利用可穿戴生物传感器的集体数据来评估环境热应激，而非个人健康状况。为了量化特定环境或条件下的热应激，我们引入了心率反应截距，其定义为当身体活动的心率反应近似呈线性时，1梅脱时的心率。使用这个热应激指数，我们研究了环境温度、衰老和肥胖对热应激的影响。我们的研究结果表明，肥胖工人的热应激显著偏高，不容忽视。此外，由于这种方法可以量化中暑对策的有效性，它是改善工作环境的宝贵工具。
