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The changing relationship between rainfall and children's physical activity in spring and summer: a longitudinal
Flo Harrison1, Esther M F van Sluijs2, Kirsten Corder3
1Norwich Medical School & UKCRC Centre for Diet and Activity Research, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. flo.harrison@uea.ac.uk.
Summary
Rainfall significantly reduces physical activity (PA) in primary school children, but not older students. Activity declines most on dry days as children age, highlighting the need for weather-resilient activity interventions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric health
- Environmental influences on behavior
- Physical activity research
Background:
- Seasonal patterns in children's physical activity (PA) are influenced by weather and day length.
- Limited understanding exists on how age impacts the relationship between weather and children's PA.
- This study investigates rainfall's effect on PA in a longitudinal cohort of UK children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between rainfall and physical activity levels in children at different ages.
- To determine how weather conditions, specifically rainfall, influence moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time.
- To identify age-specific patterns in PA responses to rainfall.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 283 children (SPEEDY study) from ages 9-10 to 13-14 years.
- Objective PA measurement using accelerometers over three summer periods.
- Analysis of daily weather data and its correlation with PA (MVPA, VPA, cpm) and sedentary time using multilevel models.
Main Results:
- Physical activity (PA) declined with increased rainfall in 9-10 and 10-11 year olds.
- Significant reductions in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were observed on wet days compared to dry days.
- No significant trend in MVPA related to rainfall was found in 13-14 year olds; PA decline was steepest on dry days between ages 9-10 and 13-14.
Conclusions:
- Increased rainfall is linked to decreased PA in primary school children, but not secondary school children.
- Physical activity decline is most pronounced on dry days as children transition from primary to secondary school.
- Interventions promoting activity on wet days are crucial for primary schools; fostering resilient behaviors is key for all ages.
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