Examining weather-related factors on physical activity levels of children from rural communities

Objective The objective was to examine the influence of weather on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and light physical activity (LPA) levels of children aged 8-14 years from rural communities, an understudied Canadian population. Methods Children (n = 90) from four communities in rural Northwestern Ontario participated in this study between September and December 2016. Children's MVPA and LPA were measured using an Actical accelerometer and demographic data were gathered from surveys of children and their parents. Weather data were collected from the closest weather station. Cross-classified regression models were used to assess the relationship between weather and children's MVPA and LPA. Results Boys accumulated more MVPA than girls (b = 26.38,p < 0.01), children were more active on weekdays as compared with weekends (b = - 16.23,p < 0.01), children were less active on days with precipitation (b = - 22.88,p < 0.01), and higher temperature led to a significant increase in MVPA (b = 1.33,p < 0.01). As children aged, they accumulated less LPA (b = - 9.36,p < 0.01) and children who perceived they had higher levels of physical functioning got more LPA (b = 25.18,p = 0.02). Similar to MVPA, children had higher levels of LPA on weekdays (b = - 37.24,p < 0.01) as compared to weekend days and children accumulated less LPA (b = -50.01,p < 0.01) on days with rain. Conclusion The study findings indicate that weather influences rural children's MVPA and LPA. Future research is necessary to incorporate these findings into interventions to increase rural children's overall PA levels and improve their overall health.

Automated summary

The study explored the influence of weather on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and light physical activity (LPA) levels of children aged 8-14 years from rural communities in Canada. Results indicated that boys accumulated more MVPA than girls, precipitation and weekend days were associated with lower activity levels, and higher temperatures led to increased MVPA. Future research is needed to incorporate these findings into interventions to improve rural children's physical activity levels and overall health.