The Relationships between Weather-Related Factors and Daily Outdoor Physical Activity Counts on an Urban Greenway
Open Access
- 23 February 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Vol. 8 (2), 579-589
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph8020579
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between weather and outdoor physical activity (PA). An online weather source was used to obtain daily max temperature [DMT], precipitation, and wind speed. An infra-red trail counter provided data on daily trail use along a greenway, over a 2-year period. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine associations between PA and weather, while controlling for day of the week and month of the year. The overall regression model explained 77.0% of the variance in daily PA (p < 0.001). DMT (b = 10.5), max temp-squared (b = −4.0), precipitation (b = −70.0), and max wind speed (b = 1.9) contributed significantly. Conclusion: Aggregated daily data can detect relationships between weather and outdoor PA.Keywords
This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit:
- Physical activity levels of older community-dwelling adults are influenced by summer weather variablesApplied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2009
- Effects of Weather on Pedometer-Determined Physical Activity in ChildrenMedicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2008
- Greenway Accessibility and Physical-Activity BehaviorEnvironment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 2008
- UK adults exhibit higher step counts in summer compared to winter monthsAnnals of Human Biology, 2008
- The effect of season and weather on physical activity: A systematic reviewPublic Health, 2007
- The relationship between leisure, walking, and transportation activity with the natural environmentHealth & Place, 2007
- Humidity influences exercise capacity in subjects with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB)Respiratory Medicine, 2006
- Relationship between objective measures of physical activity and weather: a longitudinal studyInternational Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2006
- Walking trends among U.S. adults: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1987–2000American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2003
- Physical Activity Preferences, Preferred Sources of Assistance, and Perceived Barriers to Increased Activity among Physically Inactive AustraliansPreventive Medicine, 1997