Relationship between cerebrovascular disease and indoor thermal environment in two selected towns in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan

1. 1. This paper describes the results of an investigation of the relationship between mortality from cerebrovascular disease (hereafter called stroke) and the indoor thermal environment in two selected towns with different socioeconomic compositions: Shiwahime, an agricultura town with relatively high stroke mortality, and Karakuwa, a fishing town with relatively low stroke mortality, using a case-control research design. 2. 2. The measurement of the indoor thermal environments were conducted and the surveyed with a questionnaire during the winter of 1986. 3. 3. The findings are summarized as detailed below. 4. 4. Room temperatures in the control households were generally higher than those in the case households by up to 1.3°C. 5. 5. The thermal conditions of the housing in the case households were a little inferior to those in the control households. 6. 6. Despite much lower room temperatures than the so-called comfort temperature, members of both the case and the control households did not express feelings of being cold in the rooms. 7. 7. It is concluded, including the survey results from other literature, that improvements in the indoor thermal environment should receive more attention with respect of the reduction in stroke mortality, particularly in areas of cold climates.