Meteorology and the physical activity of the elderly: the Nakanojo Study

Abstract

Seasonal changes in ambient temperature and day length are thought to modify habitual physical activity. However, relationships between such environmental factors and the daily physical activity of older populations remain unclear. The present study thus examined associations between meteorological variables and the number of steps taken per day by elderly Japanese. Continuous pedometer counts over a 450-day period were collected from 41 healthy subjects (age 71+/-4 years), none of whom engaged in any specific occupational activity or exercise programs. An electronic physical activity monitor was attached to a belt worn on the left side of the body throughout the day. Daily values for mean ambient temperature, duration of bright sunshine, mean wind speed, mean relative humidity, and precipitation were obtained from local meteorological stations. The day length was calculated from times of sunrise and sunset. Based on the entire group of 41 subjects (ensemble average), a subject's step count per day decreased exponentially with increasing precipitation (r2=0.19, P<0.05). On days when precipitation was <1 mm, the step count increased with the mean ambient temperature over the range of -2 to 17 degrees C, but decreased over the range 17-29 degrees C. The daily step count also tended to increase with day length, but the regression coefficient of determination attributable to step count and mean ambient temperature (r2=0.32, P<0.05) exceeded that linking the step count and day length (r2=0.13, P<0.05). The influence of other meteorological factors was small (r2<or=0.03) and of little practical significance. On days when precipitation is <1 mm, physical activity is associated more strongly with ambient temperature than with day length, duration of bright sunshine, wind speed, or relative humidity. Our findings have practical implications for health promotion efforts designed to increase the physical activity of elderly people consistently in the face of seasonal variations in environmental conditions.

Influence of weather variables on physical activity assessed by accelerometry across age and gender groups

“…As temperature increased by 1°C, older men increased their total PA by 12 ct•min -1 , spent 2 min more in MVPA, and took 307 more steps per day. The results for older men confirm data from previous studies that used self-reporting and objective measures 11,23,25 and that found a curvilinear relationship between the number of steps taken and temperature in older adults. One of those studies showed that PA during the summer peaked at temperatures of 20°C and declined as temperatures continue to rise beyond this value, until it reached 30°C.…”

“…Previous studies involving elderly adults based on pedometers found similar correlations between weather variables and PA 23 .…”

“…These findings are in line with previous research on the relationship between older women's participation in an exercise class and environmental variables, which found that any amount of precipitation induced a 25-40% decrease in class attendance 24 . Furthermore, a study consisting of 41 older Japanese people (above 70 years) revealed that the number of steps taken per day decreased with increasing precipitation 23 , as well as for another study 7 . We could not confirm that precipitation was the most influential on PA of all the weather variables, as suggested previously 10 , because different influences were found for each age and gender group.…”

Barriers to outdoor physical activity and unmet physical activity need in older adults

“…In previous studies, weather conditions such as heavy rain, hot temperatures, very cold temperatures or icy conditions have been reported as barriers by older people (Tu et al 2004). It has also been shown that the length of the day, together with temperature can influence physical activity (Sumukadas et al 2009, Togo et al 2005; this combination is likely also to apply in Finland, where days are short in winter and darkness was reported to be a barrier by many of the present participants. However, we found no correlation between the time of the year when the interview was conducted and unmet physical activity need.…”

Aging and the Use of Pedestrian Facilities in Winter—The Need for Improved Design and Better Technology

“…Several studies among adults report that poor weather is perceived as a barrier to physical activity [6][7][8][9][10] and that daily physical activity levels decrease as ambient temperature drops and also decrease with rain and snowfall. 11,12 People with functional limitations reported that curb ramps become particularly hazardous in winter. [13][14][15] A prime indicator of the accessibility of an architectural environment is the degree to which the environment enables the performance of relevant activities by its users.…”