The purpose of this study is to propose the clothing insulation for thermal comfort and climate adaptability of forest healing effect by the clo-unit. This project investigated the clothing status of healing forest visitors, the gap between total clot...
The purpose of this study is to propose the clothing insulation for thermal comfort and climate adaptability of forest healing effect by the clo-unit. This project investigated the clothing status of healing forest visitors, the gap between total clothing insulation and the clo-unit, and the relationship between the clo-unit and climate adaptation.
The sites of the investigation were Daegwallyeong Healing Forest in Gangwon-do, Jangryeongsan Healing Forest in Chungcheongbuk-do, and Jangseong Healing Forest in Jeollanam-do. The survey was conducted on 201 participants(97 males and 104 females).
The Data were analyzed by frequencies, one-way ANOVA, and t-test using Excel and SPSS 18.0.
The results are as follows.
First, the total clothing insulation of healing forest visitors averaged 0.805clo for males and 0.884clo for females, with more for females. Although males and females had a difference in the clothing insulation, they had no difference in thermal comfort, surveyed as comfortable in 66.7%. It was shown that the visitors’ thermal comfort was affected by the forest environment.
Second, in the correlation between body mass index and climate adaptability - cold adaptability, wearing behavior to the cold, and perceived health - of healing forest visitors. Body mass index showed a significant positive correlation (p<.01) with cold adaptability, a significant negative correlation (p<.01) with wearing behavior to the cold, and no significant correlation with perceived health. The correlation total clothing insulation showed a significant negative correlation (p<.05) with cold adaptability, a significant positive correlation (p<.01) with wearing behavior to the cold, and no significant correlation with perceived health.
Third, in the relationship among total clothing insulation, the gap of the clo-unit, and the climate adaptability. the total clothing insulation and the gap of the clo-unit showed a significant negative correlation (p<.05) with cold adaptability, and a significant positive correlation (p<.01) with wearing behavior coping with the cold. And they showed a significant negative correlation (p<.05) with perceived health. These results can suggest that it is necessary to provide for the visitors to take account of the weather condition and the clo-unit for the visiting site.
Fourth, the clo-unit through the temperature and wind speed of the healing forest averaged 1.025clo for males and 1.026clo for females, with a gap of 0.14clo to 0.22clo from the actual average clothing insulation values. The thermal comfort range that healing forest visitors felt was different from the actual clothing insulation and the clo-unit, by average -.201clo. Thus, these results can suggest that healing forest visitors need to adjust the clothing insulation with light, long sleeve shirts (0.2clo) and thin sweaters (0.2clo), which have individual insulation values of 0.172 to 0.227 for the visiting time. During the forest healing program, it is expected that the metabolic rate and clothing can be adjusted for the thermal comfort of the visitors and adaptation to the climate.
This study will provide basic data to predict clothing for health promotion of healing forest visitors, which will positively improve thermal comfort, satisfaction, and climate adaptability in forest healing. Furthermore, the physiological research on thermal comfort and climate adaptability in the seasonal characteristics and various ages will promote the health of healing forest visitors.