All of us regularly experience indoor temperatures that go beyond the narrow comfort thresholds set by building standards and workplace guidelines. Remarkably, we often tolerate these conditions, and this may even be good for our health and reduce our energy demands. However, we don't know exactly to what extent such tolerance persists, and how our bodies and minds adjust to different conditions and tasks. This question is the core of a new study of the T&RA Healthy Living Spaces of the Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine at the University Hospital RWTH Aachen, in collaboration with the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium, and funded by the Belgian FNRS. To conduct this study, we are looking for healthy volunteers willing to participate.
The study will run from September 2023 through January 2024. You will be invited to our Aachen workplace simulation lab, a modern office space near Pontstraße, on four separate non-consecutive mornings. Each session is expected to last two and a half hours. At each visit, you will be asked to complete short questionnairesto assess your perception of the thermal environment and to perform some cognitive tasks while we monitor your heart rate and skin temperature using easy-to-wear sensors attached to your body. You will have the freedom to work on your own tasks during a portion of each session, although the duration of this personal time may vary each day. In some sessions, you can choose between your own tasks or tasks we will provide. On average, you can expect to decide how to use roughly about half of each session’s time, though with occasional breaks.
After successful participation and completion of the four days, you will receive an expense allowance worth €100. Moreover, if you successfully accomplish the assigned goals in the tasks presented during some of the sessions, you will have the opportunity to earn an extra up to €30. Please note that any travel expenses incurred are to be covered by you.
Interested?
If you are interested in participating, please first check whether the following criteria apply to you:
- Age over 18.
- Have spent more than three months in Germany (or in the same climatic zone) before the first experimental day.
- Fluent in English, both written and spoken.
- BMI between 17 and 35. BMI (body mass index) measures your weight compared to your height. You can calculate your BMI by dividing your body weight (in kilograms) by the square of your height (in metres). For instance, if someone is 1.75 m tall and weighs 70 kg, their BMI is equal to: 75 / 1.75 2= 22.9 BMI. The general formula is: kg / m2 = BMI.
- Not being pregnant (for female participants).
- Free from any known cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, or neurological diseases.
- Not taking medication that could affect your heart rate or metabolism. If you're unsure whether your medication affects your heart rate or metabolism, feel free to contact us for further guidance.
- Not regular alcohol consumption of more than 2 servings per day for men and more than 1 serving per day for women. 1 serving is equivalent to 12 grams of pure alcohol, which is about 0.25 litres of beer or 0.125 litres of wine.
- Non-smoker and drug-free.
- Physically active, but not a top athlete. This means a minimum of 2 to a maximum of 7 hours of physical activity per week. Physical activity also includes walking or cycling.
- Voluntary participation, signed consent form
If these criteria apply to you, please send us a short email, based on which we will provide you with further information. Please contact the study team by email or phone.
Contact
Study team
Phone: +49 241 80-83265
HLS_Tolukaachende
