Association between Ventilation Area and Thermal Comfort in Boarding School Dormitory Rooms

Abstrak

Ventilation plays a crucial role in creating thermal comfort, particularly in high-density residential environments such as Islamic boarding schools. Ventilation that does not meet established standards can lead to increased indoor temperature, excessive humidity, and poor air quality, thereby affecting occupants’ comfort and health. According to the standards of the Ministry of Health, the ideal ventilation area should be at least 10% of the floor area. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between ventilation area and thermal comfort in dormitory rooms of an Islamic boarding school. This study employed an analytic quantitative design with a cross-sectional approach. The sample consisted of 19 dormitory rooms and 262 female students from an Islamic boarding school in Banjar Regency, South Kalimantan. Data were collected through physical measurements (temperature, humidity, and air velocity) and a questionnaire assessing perceived thermal comfort. The measurement results showed that 94.7% of the dormitory rooms did not meet the ventilation area standard (≤10% of floor area). Among these rooms, 96.2% of occupants reported experiencing thermal discomfort. Meanwhile, in rooms that met the ventilation standard, all occupants (100%) also reported thermal discomfort. The chi-square test indicated a significant relationship between ventilation area and thermal comfort (p = 0.000; α = 0.05). These findings indicate that ventilation plays a role in thermal comfort, although other contributing factors should also be considered. Proper ventilation planning in accordance with established standards remains important as part of efforts to create a healthy residential environment in Islamic boarding schools.