How we went about it

Body temperature is a measure of the body's ability to generate and get rid of heat. It is one of the 5 parameters taken when we measure a person's vital signs (the other 4 being Blood Pressure, Pulse Rate, Respiration Rate & Pain).

There are various ways to measure body temperature, via:

• Oral: in the mouth, under the tongue
• Axilla: under the armpit
• Rectal: in the anus
• Tympanic: from the eardrum in the ear canal (infrared)
• Skin: on the forehead
  

Our Research Question:
Is a person's oral temperature related to his/her axilla temperature?

Defining the Variables:

• Variable 1: Oral temperature.
• Variable 2: Axillary temperature.
• Extraneous variables: Gender.
  

Conceptualization:

• Oral temperature: temperature taken under the tongue of the subject.
• Axilla temperature: temperature taken under the axilla/armpit of the subject.

Literature Review:

• Body Temperature: Normal Body Temperature, Fever, and Thermometer Types
  

• Rectal, ear, oral, and axillary temperature comparison

• Normal oral, rectal, tympanic and axillary body temperature in adult men and women: a systematic literature review.

• Temperature of a Healthy Human (Body Temperature)

• How reliable is axillary temperature measurement?

• Is axillary temperature an appropriate surrogate for core temperature?

• A comparison between infrared tympanic thermometry, oral and axilla with rectal thermometry in neutropenic adults

• Comparison of Axillary Temperature with Rectal or Oral Temperature
  and Determination of Optimum Placement Time in Children
  

Operationalization:

1. We gathered our samples by measuring the oral temperature & axilla temperature of our schoolmates using an electronic digital thermometer.

2. Calibration - The temperatures are measured using the SAME BRAND of electronic thermometers. They have been pre-checked to ensure they register readings that are are within ±0.1°C when measuring from the SAME cup of warm water at the SAME time.

3. Thermosheaths were also used for both oral and axilla temperature taking to maintain consistency.

4. We took measurements of both temperature routes for each individual TWICE to obtain an AVERAGE.

5. The data was collected from a group of healthy males & females from 17 to 24 years old.

What Can Affect the Test:

Inaccurate temperature readings can be caused by:

• Not keeping your mouth closed around the thermometer when taking an oral temperature.
• Not leaving a thermometer in place long enough before reading it.
• Not putting the proper thermometer in the right place.
• Not following the instructions for proper use that come with the thermometer.
• A weak or dead thermometer battery.
• Taking an oral temperature within 20 minutes after smoking or drinking a hot or cold liquid.
• Taking a temperature by any method within an hour of exercising vigorously or taking a hot bath.

Precautions Taken During Operationalization:

1. Fresh batteries were inserted in all test electronic thermometers.
2. We reminded all subjects to place the thermometer under their tongues and keep their mouth closed around the thermometer.
3. We only remove the thermometer from under the tongue or armpit when it beeped to indicate that it was in place long enough to register a stable temperature.
   
4. The temperatures were taken at the end of the first morning lectures at Nanyang Polytechnic so that:
   • There is at least an hour's gap from any consumed hot food or drink (to minimize the influence of hot food on body temperature), and
   • The subjects would be at rest (to minimize the impact of any physical exertion on body temperature).