The posture of the residents in the living room in and around Kyoto city

Aspect of the behavioral temperature regulation

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify the variations in residents’ posture while sitting in their living room from the standpoint of behavioral temperature regulation. Data was collected by questionnaire and interview. The frequency of the various postures for males in the living room was, in descending order, lateral decubitas, sedentary, sitting with legs stretched, and sitting with legs crossed in summer; and in winter, lateral decubitas, sedentary, sitting with legs crossed and sitting with legs stretched. The frequency of postures for females in the living room was, in descending order, sedentary, sitting with legs sideways, sitting with legs stretched, and lateral decubitas, in summer; and in winter, sedentary, sitting with legs sideways, sitting with legs stretched, and lateral decubitas. The thermal environment was found to affect the residents’ posture variation in the living room. Seventy-seven percent of the residents in winter and 58% in summer chose were to recline based on the level of thermal comfort. These facts can be interpreted as a type of behavioral temperature regulation.