Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-2006

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Exercise Science

Major Professor

Eugene C. Fitzhugh

Committee Members

Dixie Thompson, Mary Evans, David R. Bassett, Jr.

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the association of outdoor physical activity (PA) with weather-related factors (temperature, humidity, heat index, and precipitation) when data was measured onsite (Knoxville Third-Creek Greenway). Secondary to this research question, this study explored whether the source of weather-related data (site-specific vs. public domain) influenced the strength of association with outdoor PA. PA, the dependent variable, was measured as trail counts by an infrared trail counter. Weather-related factors were obtained by an on-site weather station and through the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a public domain weather source. Hourly PA (trail counts) and weather-related factors were matched and analyzed using correlations, dependent correlation comparisons, and linear regression modeling.

Statistical analysis showed that weather-related measures from both onsite and public domain weather sources were moderately correlated with PA. Weather-related factors explained approximately 13% and 20% of the variance in PA on weekdays and weekends, respectively, regardless of the source of weather related data. The amount of variance explained by weather-related factors in this study was 2-3 times more variance reported than any other study to date. The analysis of PA and weather-related data at the hourly level, as opposed to aggregated daily averages, may have increased the precision to detect differences in PA levels due to weather-related measures.

Weather-related factors have a moderate association with outdoor PA. The association of PA with weather-related measures was different on weekdays compared to weekend days. No practical differences were found between weather-related measures collected from site-specific and public domain weather sources and their associations with PA. Future research is needed to better understand the effects of weather-related factors on total PA (indoor and outdoor) and to help explain the different effects of weather-related factors on weekdays compared to weekend days.

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