Real-time human core temperature estimation methods and their application in the occupational field: A systematic review

Background: The estimation of body core temperature (CT) is a central issue in the study of the human thermoregulation response in the occupational field. The objective of this systematic review was to identify the real-time CT estimation methods based on physiological measurements acquired through wearable devices. Methods: According to the eligibility criteria, the articles published until 24th March 2020 were selected from Scopus, Pubmed and Web of Science and the potential risk of bias was assessed. Results: 16 studies were included, which enrolled a total of 353 above all young males, with tests performed mainly in the laboratory under warm/hot environmental conditions. Several CT estimation methods were found, for which performance was evaluated with different approaches. Conclusion: Promising solutions appear to be emerging from the literature to enable real-time CT estimation with a small number of wearable and non-invasive sensors for application in the occupational field.