Dataset for "Thermal comfort in desert refugee camps: An interdisciplinary approach"

Data collection method:

The families were selected randomly. Given the range of backgrounds, intra-household dynamics, education and literacy levels, all surveys were administered through interview. The questions were explained in detail in order to guarantee common understanding amongst occupants. The summer survey consisted of 75 families (38 families in Azraq and 37 families in Zaatari). Fifty-six of the 75 families were visited again for the winter survey, and an additional 24 families were interviewed in winter to compensate for those who were not available. The respondents were interviewed in their residence (shelters). First, the respondents as a family unit were asked to answer the social survey questionnaire; all family members present discussed the questions and one response per family per season was recorded as the main interest of the social survey was to find out, what aspects of the shelter design worked (or didn’t) for them as a family. This took about twenty minutes allowing them to physically acclimatise in case they were doing other activities prior to the survey. Then they were asked individually about their thermal sensation and thermal preference while spot measurements of indoor environmental variables were recorded using hand-held devices at 1m high. Respondents’ height, weight, age, clothing level, and activity level, were noted. The thermal comfort survey: In order to address ambiguities in translating the ASHRAE Thermal sensation scales; the respondents were first asked whether they felt absolutely neutral (hiyadi) or felt a sensation of heat or cold. If they answered neutral, (hiyadi), their thermal sensation was registered as such. If they said they felt a discomfort or sensation of heat or cold, then they were asked to say on a scale 1 to 3 how hot or cold they felt with 1 being a little bit, and 3 being too much. A similar numerical approach was used for the thermal preference scale.