TY - JOUR
T1 - Outdoor temperature, precipitation, and wind speed affect physical activity levels in children
T2 - A longitudinal cohort study
AU - Edwards, Nicholas M.
AU - Myer, Gregory D.
AU - Kalkwarf, Heidi J.
AU - Woo, Jessica G.
AU - Khoury, Philip R.
AU - Hewett, Timothy E.
AU - Daniels, Stephen R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Human Kinetics, Inc.
PY - 2015/10/19
Y1 - 2015/10/19
N2 - Objective: Evaluate effects of local weather conditions on physical activity in early childhood. Methods: Longitudinal prospective cohort study of 372 children, 3 years old at enrollment, drawn from a major US metropolitan community. Accelerometer-measured (RT3) physical activity was collected every 4 months over 5 years and matched with daily weather measures: day length, heating/cooling degrees (degrees mean temperature < 65¡ãF or ≥ 65F, respectively), wind, and precipitation. Mixed regression analyses, adjusted for repeated measures, were used to test the relationship between weather and physical activity. Results: Precipitation and wind speed were negatively associated with total physical activity and moderate-vigorous physical activity (P <.0001). Heating and cooling degrees were negatively associated with total physical activity and moderate-vigorous physical activity and positively associated with inactivity (all P <.0001), independent of age, sex, race, BMI, day length, wind, and precipitation. For every 10 additional heating degrees there was a 5-minute daily reduction in moderatevigorous physical activity. For every additional 10 cooling degrees there was a 17-minute reduction in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Conclusions: Inclement weather (higher/lower temperature, greater wind speed, more rain/snow) is associated with less physical activity in young children. These deleterious effects should be considered when planning physical activity research, interventions, and policies.
AB - Objective: Evaluate effects of local weather conditions on physical activity in early childhood. Methods: Longitudinal prospective cohort study of 372 children, 3 years old at enrollment, drawn from a major US metropolitan community. Accelerometer-measured (RT3) physical activity was collected every 4 months over 5 years and matched with daily weather measures: day length, heating/cooling degrees (degrees mean temperature < 65¡ãF or ≥ 65F, respectively), wind, and precipitation. Mixed regression analyses, adjusted for repeated measures, were used to test the relationship between weather and physical activity. Results: Precipitation and wind speed were negatively associated with total physical activity and moderate-vigorous physical activity (P <.0001). Heating and cooling degrees were negatively associated with total physical activity and moderate-vigorous physical activity and positively associated with inactivity (all P <.0001), independent of age, sex, race, BMI, day length, wind, and precipitation. For every 10 additional heating degrees there was a 5-minute daily reduction in moderatevigorous physical activity. For every additional 10 cooling degrees there was a 17-minute reduction in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Conclusions: Inclement weather (higher/lower temperature, greater wind speed, more rain/snow) is associated with less physical activity in young children. These deleterious effects should be considered when planning physical activity research, interventions, and policies.
KW - Barriers
KW - Cooling degree
KW - Environment
KW - Heating degree
KW - Weather
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U2 - 10.1123/jpah.2014-0125
DO - 10.1123/jpah.2014-0125
M3 - Article
C2 - 25423667
AN - SCOPUS:84950139977
SN - 1543-3080
VL - 12
SP - 1074
EP - 1081
JO - Journal of Physical Activity and Health
JF - Journal of Physical Activity and Health
IS - 8
ER -