Togo Fumiharu, Watanabe Eiji, Park Hyuntae, Shephard Roy J, Aoyagi Yukitoshi
Exercise Sciences Research Group, Division of Physiology and Aging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan.
Int J Biometeorol. 2005 Nov;50(2):83-9. doi: 10.1007/s00484-005-0277-z. Epub 2005 Jul 26.
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.
环境温度和日照时长的季节性变化被认为会改变习惯性身体活动。然而，此类环境因素与老年人群日常身体活动之间的关系仍不明确。因此，本研究调查了气象变量与日本老年人每日步数之间的关联。收集了41名健康受试者（年龄71±4岁）在450天内的连续计步器计数，这些受试者均未从事任何特定的职业活动或锻炼计划。将电子身体活动监测器全天附着在身体左侧佩戴的腰带上。从当地气象站获取每日平均环境温度、日照时长、平均风速、平均相对湿度和降水量的值。日照时长根据日出和日落时间计算得出。基于41名受试者的整个群体（总体平均值），受试者的每日步数随着降水量增加呈指数下降（r2 = 0.19，P < 0.05）。在降水量<1毫米的日子里，步数在-2至17摄氏度范围内随平均环境温度升高而增加，但在17 - 29摄氏度范围内则下降。每日步数也倾向于随日照时长增加，但步数与平均环境温度的决定系数回归系数（r2 = 0.32，P < 0.05）超过了步数与日照时长的相关系数（r2 = 0.13，P < 0.05）。其他气象因素的影响较小（r2≤0.03）且实际意义不大。在降水量<1毫米的日子里，身体活动与环境温度的关联比与日照时长、日照时间、风速或相对湿度的关联更强。我们的研究结果对于旨在面对环境条件季节性变化持续增加老年人身体活动的健康促进努力具有实际意义。
