Research on Comfortable Lighting Environments for Elderly Readers:Determination of Lighting Thresholds Based on Human Factors Experiments
GUAN Yuntong
YANG Hongwei
WANG Yukun
CHEN Yinfan
FANG Jialiang
LIU Laiyi
Abstract：In the context of accelerating global population aging,lighting environments—as a critical built environment factor influencing the mood,behavior,and health of the elderly—are increasingly drawing attention in age-friendly design.Given that international standards for lighting in elderly care facilities have not yet reached a unified conclusion,this study focuses on two typical reading media—printed materials and VDT—to systematically investigate the combined effects of illuminance(500lx/750lx/1000lx/1500lx)and color temperature(3500/4500K)on subjective evaluations,visual performance,and physiological responses of the elderly population.By controlling lighting parameters and media combinations,the study collected participants'subjective evaluations,reading rates,digital proofreading task scores,and multiple physiological indicators such as electrocardiogram(ECG),electrodermal activity(EDA),and electroencephalogram(EEG)under 16 different lighting conditions to assess the regulatory role of lighting conditions on reading performance.The results indicate that illuminance significantly affects both subjective and physiological indicators in paper-based reading,while color temperature and the interaction between color temperature and illuminance also significantly influence reading rate.In contrast,in VDT reading,illuminance significantly affects visual performance,while color temperature primarily influences physiological indicators.Based on the combined results of objective and subjective evaluations,a lighting condition of 1,000lx-3,500K is recommended for printed reading,with color temperature adjustable to 4500 K for specific visual tasks to enhance visual performance.For VDT reading,a condition of 1,000lx-4,500K is recommended;if circadian rhythm regulation is the primary objective,the color temperature should be appropriately reduced to 3,500K.These findings provide empirical evidence to guide lighting design in elderly care facilities.
Keywords：lighting for the elderlypaper readingVDT readingilluminance and color temperature
Publication Date：2026-02-28
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-19(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：16( 11-26 )