The Relationship between the Heat Disorder Incidence Rate and Heat Stress Indices at Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan

Abstract

In recent years, the risk of heat disorder in daily life has increased dramatically because the thermal environment has been deteriorating. The main objective of this study was to examine regional differences in the relationship between heat disorder incidence rate and heat stress indices at Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Daily maximum air temperature and daily maximum WBGT were used as heat stress indices in each region. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to examine the regional difference in the relationship between the heat disorder incidence rate and heat stress indices in each region. The heat disorder incidence rate was correlated with both indices of heat stress in all regions. However, the more appropriate heat stress index for heat disorder prevention differed among regions. The distributions of heat stress indices, such as the slope of regression curve and the temperature threshold, differed in each region, irrespective of the index used. Therefore, the criteria for thermal conditions for heat disorder prevention need to be determined for each region, considering the regional characteristics of the relationship between the heat disorder incidence rate and heat stress indices.