Behavioral adaptation and outdoor thermal comfort of the rural elderly in central China during the transitional season

Outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) influences how older adults use public spaces, yet evidence from rural settings remains limited. This study investigated OTC and adaptive behavior among rural older adults who actively used public spaces during the transitional season in Xixin Village, central China. Field measurements, 196 questionnaire responses, behavioral observations, and ENVI-met scenario simulations were combined. The neutral Physiological Equivalent Temperature was 27.4 \(^∘\) C (95% CI 27.0–28.2 \(^∘\) C), and the upper boundary of the 90% thermal acceptability range was 29.8 \(^∘\) C. Because no PET values below 21.1 \(^∘\) C were observed, the lower boundary and full width of this range could not be determined. Outdoor activity showed two daily peaks in the cooler morning and late afternoon, and respondents favored shaded, ventilated spaces. They also preferred medium-height, moderately dense, formally arranged evergreen trees. Under the tested clear-sky conditions, the combined S2 landscape scenario extended the simulated duration below the upper acceptability threshold at the frequently used EW street by approximately 2.7 h. The findings apply to active outdoor-space users in one village and identify design directions that require multi-site and multi-season validation.