Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: Variability in the Assessment of Perceived Comfort During Clothing and Individual Equipment Evaluations

Abstract

Assessing comfort of personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing and individual equipment (CIE) is challenging due to the variety of factors that influence perceived comfort. Comfort constructs are not standardized across domain areas and are inconsistently used. This research looks at the use of four different scales of comfort during a helmet product assessment, finding inconsistencies in responsiveness across the construct types. As compared to a visual analog scale (VAS), a 7-pt Likert scale with negative responses on the left and positive on the right, can potentially skew responses in the negative manner. Similarly, when presented with a discomfort-only scale as compared to a comfort-discomfort continuum, responses appear to be skewed in the negative direction as well. In an effort to promote standardization and consistency of use, particularly in PPE and military CIE product evaluations, it is recommended that additional exploration and cross-validation of comfort scales in practice be undertaken.