Impact of Weather on Physical Activity
Author Information
Author(s): Chan Catherine B, Ryan Daniel AJ, Tudor-Locke Catrine
Primary Institution: University of Prince Edward Island
Hypothesis
Does weather affect the daily physical activity of adults?
Conclusion
Weather had modest effects on the physical activity of participants in an intervention to increase their activity.
Supporting Evidence
- Weather-related variables significantly impacted daily steps taken by participants.
- An increase in temperature of 10°C resulted in a 2.9% increase in steps/day.
- Rainfall of 14 mm decreased daily steps by approximately 830 steps for an average individual.
Takeaway
Weather can change how much people walk each day, but the effect is not very big.
Methodology
Participants' steps were measured using pedometers, and weather data were collected from Environment Canada for analysis.
Potential Biases
Participants were self-selected and may have been more motivated than the general population.
Limitations
Participants were from two different intervention arms, which may have introduced seasonal confounding.
Participant Demographics
203 adults (25 males, 178 females) with an average age of 44.1 years and an average BMI of 29.1 kg/m2.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0029
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 21.0%, 30.4%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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