When we address relationship between quality of residential environment and population health, we recognize a large number of factors variously involved in the environment-health relationship directly and indirectly. Residential environment includes both physical and social aspects, and population health has both physical and mental aspects. In the present article, from our research experience previously performed (Takeuchi et al., 1994; 1995; Tanaka et al., 1996), The author picked up factors which at least should be considered in a range of residential environment and health in the aging society for the sake of fruitful discussion.

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Thermoregulatory function deteriorates with aging due to the decrease in sensitivity of thermal sensation and the delay of behavioral, and physiological regulatory responses. The reduction of muscle mass with aging reduces heat production. Cutaneous vascular response and sweating in response to heat are delayed. These deterioration of thermoregulatory responses shows wide individual variation and modified by many factors including physical fitness, body fluid balance and the degree of acclimatization to cold or heat. In addition, high incidence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases in the elderly leads to the higher incidences of thermal disorder, both in cold and heat. The integration of the knowledge of biometeorology including indoor climate, clothing and thermal physiology is important for the prevention of thermal disorders.

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In residential buildings, the occupant's evaluation of indoor environmental comfort varies greatly. A fundamental approach of the residential thermal environmental design is to avoid the unhealthy indoor environment. Many field measurements and questionnaire survey on the rural houses during the winter revealed that the indoor environment was very poor from the point of view of human health. That kind of situation should be improved by the thermal insulation and airtightening. Well-insulated and airtight houses provide a comfortable indoor environment and also has a good impact on occupants' health. However, there are some problems related to IAQ, which problems should be inves-tigated in future.

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Social and physical environments have been currently subsumed in the conceptual framework of quality of life (QOL) for the elderly. This article reviews the relationship of environmental factors to other components of QOL. As social environmental factors, social networks and social supports are important from the standpoint of prolonging life expectancies and enhancing QOL. Reciprocity (mutual reception and provision) of social supports should be stressed because the effect of only receiving social supports can be adverse. In terms of physical environment, attention should be paid to the total system of physical environment, not simply confining it to individual housing. Relocation changes both social and physical environments. Voluntary relocation or relocation to a better site does not bring about harmful effects on QOL.

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To examine the effects of quantities of food-intake on the cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) in the morning and in the afternoon, seven healthy subjects were volunteered. The right index finger was immersed into cold water at 5°C for 10 min, and skin temperature of the finger was measured in the climatic chamber at an ambient temperature of 25°C and a relative humidity of 40%. The measurements were performed in the morning (M: around 10: 00 hr) and in the afternoon (A: around 17: 00 hr), 60 min after finish of a meal containing 0, 400 or 800 kcal in the separate day, respectively. A CIVDindex was measured using the data of the rising phase of skin temperature during the cold water immersion. CIVDindex was significantly greater at 800 kcal ingestion (P<0.05) than that at 0 kcal both in the M and the A. Compared with the value at 0 kcal, CIVDindex at 400 kcal, however, was not significantly different. There were significant correlations between CIVDindex and the quantities of food-intake both in the M and the A, STBI (skin temperature before immersion), or oral temperature after ingestion of a meal in the M, but no significant correlation in the A. CIVDindex in the A was significantly lower than in the M at 0 kcal ingestion, however there was no significant difference between both in the M and the A at 400 and 800 kcal ingestions, respectively. These results imply that effects of the quantities of food-intake and the food-intake time of the day on CIVDindex are correlated with heat content change after meal ingestion and the other factors including sympathetic nerve activity and plasma noradrenaline concentration.

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The relationship between monthly death rates from pneumonia and bronchitis (P&B), and monthly means of outdoor temperatures, relative humidities, precipitations were observed comparatively with the multiple regression analysis in the regions, Hokkaido, Tokyo, Wakayama, Okinawa prefectures and Kyoto city. Previously reported “Excess Death Index” which is defined as the difference between the death rate calculated with regres-sion curve of annual death rate during 15 years (1977-1991) and the observed actual death rate was used again. The results are as follows: (1) Independent variable in regression is only one, that is month-ly mean temperature, and the death indices (normalized) were found to rise significantly (p<0.05) with descending mean temperature in 5 regions. In addition, in higher temperature, that is in summer, the death indices appeared to rise with rising temperature. (2) Then, from observation of spline curves based upon averages of death indices and monthly mean temperatures for 15 years, higher temper-ature in summer was found to be a risk factor as well as lower temperature in winter. (3) The death index-minimum temperatures in temperature-rising season was obtained: 15.0 for Hokkaido, 22.0 for Tokyo, 23.0 for Kyoto C. 22.5 for Wakayama and 23.5°C for Okinawa. The obvious shift of dependence of death index upon temperature was observed in Hokkaido.

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The daily number of steps (Pedometer readings) and body weights of 40 wintering members of the 35th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (DARE) were investigated from November 1993 to February 1995 in Antarctica. Compared with a similar previous study (the 10th JARE, 1968-1970) in particular, the average of steps per person increased on the ship from Japan to Antarctica and the winter season, and decreased during summer operations (construction) . One reason for this difference is changes in the environment. The ship (Icebreaker Shirase) was larger than the previous ship (Fuji) and Syowa Station has increased in size every year. Furthermore, many large machines are available for construction and luggage conveyance during the summer. The average body weight of expedition members who traveled intracontinentally for one month or longer and participated in constructing a new base showed decrease but not significantly. However, the average weight in members who stayed in Syowa Station during the winter showed no remarkable change, although an increase was observed in the previous study.

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