TY - JOUR

T1 - The impacts of sun exposure on worker physiology and cognition: Multi-country evidence and interventions

AU - Ioannou, Leonidas G

AU - Tsoutsoubi, Lydia

AU - Mantzios, Konstantinos

AU - Gkikas, Giorgos

AU - Piil, Jacob Feder

AU - Dinas, Petros C

AU - Notley, Sean R

AU - Kenny, Glen P

AU - Nybo, Lars

AU - Flouris, Andreas D

N1 - CURIS 2021 NEXS 246

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Background: A set of four case-control (n = 109), randomized-controlled (n = 7), cross-sectional (n = 78), and intervention (n = 47) studies was conducted across three countries to investigate the effects of sun exposure on worker physiology and cognition.Methods: Physiological, subjective, and cognitive performance data were collected from people working in ambient conditions characterized by the same thermal stress but different solar radiation levels.Results: People working under the sun were more likely to experience dizziness, weakness, and other symptoms of heat strain. These clinical impacts of sun exposure were not accompanied by changes in core body temperature but, instead, were linked with changes in skin temperature. Other physiological responses (heart rate, skin blood flow, and sweat rate) were also increased during sun exposure, while attention and vigilance were reduced by 45% and 67%, respectively, compared to exposure to a similar thermal stress without sunlight. Light-colored clothes reduced workers' skin temperature by 12-13% compared to darker-colored clothes.Conclusions: Working under the sun worsens the physiological heat strain experienced and compromises cognitive function, even when the level of heat stress is thought to be the same as being in the shade. Wearing light-colored clothes can limit the physiological heat strain experienced by the body.

AB - Background: A set of four case-control (n = 109), randomized-controlled (n = 7), cross-sectional (n = 78), and intervention (n = 47) studies was conducted across three countries to investigate the effects of sun exposure on worker physiology and cognition.Methods: Physiological, subjective, and cognitive performance data were collected from people working in ambient conditions characterized by the same thermal stress but different solar radiation levels.Results: People working under the sun were more likely to experience dizziness, weakness, and other symptoms of heat strain. These clinical impacts of sun exposure were not accompanied by changes in core body temperature but, instead, were linked with changes in skin temperature. Other physiological responses (heart rate, skin blood flow, and sweat rate) were also increased during sun exposure, while attention and vigilance were reduced by 45% and 67%, respectively, compared to exposure to a similar thermal stress without sunlight. Light-colored clothes reduced workers' skin temperature by 12-13% compared to darker-colored clothes.Conclusions: Working under the sun worsens the physiological heat strain experienced and compromises cognitive function, even when the level of heat stress is thought to be the same as being in the shade. Wearing light-colored clothes can limit the physiological heat strain experienced by the body.

KW - Faculty of Science

KW - Solar radiation

KW - Heat

KW - Occupational

KW - Labor

KW - Performance

KW - Core temperature

KW - Skin temperature

KW - Heart rate

KW - Skin blood flow

KW - Sweat rate

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph18147698

DO - 10.3390/ijerph18147698

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34300148

VL - 18

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

SN - 1661-7827

IS - 14

M1 - 7698

ER -