Climate change and physical activity: ambient temperature and urban trail use in Texas

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dc.contributor.authorLanza, Kevinen
dc.contributor.authorGohlke, Juliaen
dc.contributor.authorWang, Suweien
dc.contributor.authorSheffield, Perry E.en
dc.contributor.authorWilhelmi, Olgaen
dc.coverage.countryUnited Statesen
dc.coverage.stateTexasen
dc.date.accessioned2022-06-09T19:07:10Zen
dc.date.available2022-06-09T19:07:10Zen
dc.date.issued2022-05en
dc.description.abstractIndividuals in the USA are insufficiently active, increasing their chronic disease risk. Extreme temperatures may reduce physical activity due to thermal discomfort. Cooler climate studies have suggested climate change may have a net positive effect on physical activity, yet research gaps remain for warmer climates and within-day physical activity patterns. We determined the association between ambient temperatures (contemporary and projected) and urban trail use in a humid subtropical climate. At a trail in Austin, TX, five electronic counters recorded hourly pedestrian and cyclist counts in 2019. Weather data were acquired from World Weather Online. Generalized additive models estimated the association between temperature and trail counts. We then combined the estimated exposure-response relation with weather projections from climate models for intermediate (RCP4.5) and high (RCP8.5) emissions scenarios by NASA NEX-GDDP. From summer to autumn to spring to winter, hourly trail counts shifted from bimodal (mid-morning and early-evening peaks) to one mid-day peak. Pedestrians were more likely to use the trail between 7 and 27 degrees C (45-81 degrees F) with peak use at 17 degrees C (63 degrees F) and cyclists between 15 and 33 degrees C (59-91 degrees F) with peak use at 27 degrees C (81 degrees F) than at temperature extremes. A net decrease in trail use was estimated by 2041-2060 (RCP4.5: pedestrians = -4.5%, cyclists = - 1.1%; RCP8.5: pedestrians = - 6.6%, cyclists = - 1.6%) and 2081-2100 (RCP4.5: pedestrians= -7.5%, cyclists= - 1.9%; RCP8.5: pedestrians= - 16%, cyclists= -4.5%). Results suggest climate change may reduce trail use. We recommend interventions for thermal comfort at settings for physical activity.en
dc.description.notesThis work was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (grant number 78106).en
dc.description.sponsorshipRobert Wood Johnson Foundation [78106]en
dc.description.versionPublished versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-022-02302-5en
dc.identifier.eissn1432-1254en
dc.identifier.issn0020-7128en
dc.identifier.pmid35622168en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/110533en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherSpringeren
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectPedestrianen
dc.subjectCyclisten
dc.subjectAdaptationen
dc.subjectExtreme heaten
dc.subjectApparent temperatureen
dc.subjectHumid subtropical climateen
dc.titleClimate change and physical activity: ambient temperature and urban trail use in Texasen
dc.title.serialInternational Journal of Biometeorologyen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten

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