TY - JOUR PY - 2023// TI - Optimal low-cost cooling strategies for infant strollers during hot weather JO - Ergonomics A1 - Bin Maideen, Mohammad Fauzan A1 - Jay, Ollie A1 - Bongers, Coen A1 - Nanan, Ralph A1 - Smallcombe, James W. SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - The current study aimed to identity the optimal low-cost stroller cooling strategies for use in hot and moderately humid summer weather. A commercially available stroller was instrumented to assess the key parameters of the thermal environment. The cooling efficacy of eight different stroller configurations was examined in a counterbalanced order across 16 hot summer days (air temperature (T(a)) = 33.3 ± 4.1 °C; relative humidity = 36.7 ± 15%; black globe temperature = 43.9 ± 4.6 °C). Compared with a standard-practice stroller configuration, combining a moist muslin draping with a battery-operated clip-on fan provided optimal in-stroller cooling, reducing the end-trial air temperature by 4.7 °C and the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) by 1.4 °C. In contrast, in-stroller temperatures were substantially increased by draping a dry muslin (T(a) = +2.6˚C; WBGT = +0.9 °C) or flannelette (T(a) = +3.7 °C; WBGT = +1.4 °C) cloth over the stroller carriage. These findings provide empirical evidence which may inform guidance aimed at protecting infants during hot weather.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 0014-0139 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2023.2172212 ID - ref1 ER -