A recent study analyzes how heat affects the daily time spent by teenagers doing physical activities. The research, published in the journal Environmental Epidemiolog.
In recent years, record-breaking heat temperatures have been recorded, which drives the need to understand their repercussions, including those affecting human health, such as exercise habits.
In this regard, the research team highlights that global warming has raised the average temperature of the Earth’s surface by approximately 1.6 °C during the period from 2011 to 2020 compared to the reference from 1850 to 1900.
The aim of the research is to assess whether exposure to ambient temperature is associated with the time that teenagers dedicates to physical activity of different intensity.
To this end, the behavior of 531 Spaniards aged 9.8 to 17.5 years and 1,316 Dutch people aged 10.3 to 15.6 years was examined. The study method consisted of analyzing exposure to temperature in the homes of the participating groups using movement data recorded using wristwatches.
Physical activity during teen is essential for establishing lasting movement habits and promoting good cardiometabolic, psychological and developmental health.
However, as the publication highlights, more than 80% of teenagers worldwide do not do enough physical activity.
Between the ages of 5 and 17, the World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity per day, but many teenagers do not achieve this. In 2019, “only 37% of Spaniards between the ages of 8 and 16 exercised enough,” indicates the working group.
The results reveal that hotter days are associated with an increase in physical activity, but in a moderate way, such as walking or cycling, while more energetic activities, such as running or intense exercise, are relegated.
These findings highlight the importance of taking ambient temperature into account when designing activity-related interventions, especially in the context of climate change.
“We are already experiencing an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events,” highlights Carmen Íñiguez, one of the researchers from the University of Valencia and this “highlights the importance of considering environmental conditions to develop policies and strategies aimed at promoting healthy habits among the teenagers,” she adds.
However, the information obtained on very hot summer days is limited, “so it may not reflect the conditions in which heat becomes a stronger barrier”, they indicate.
Therefore, the research team concludes that it is necessary to delve further into this line of study, to understand which thermal conditions favor active lifestyles, since extreme phenomena of the future could pose new challenges.