Engagement in outdoor physical activity under ambient fine particulate matter pollution: A risk-benefit analysis

Background: Outdoor physical activity (PA) brings important health benefits, but exposure to polluted air increases health risks. This study aimed to quantify the tradeoff of PA under fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution by estimating the optimal PA duration under various pollution levels....

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Main Authors: Ruopeng An, Hyojung Kang, Lianzhong Cao, Xiaoling Xiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-07-01
Series:Journal of Sport and Health Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254620301277
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author Ruopeng An
Hyojung Kang
Lianzhong Cao
Xiaoling Xiang
author_facet Ruopeng An
Hyojung Kang
Lianzhong Cao
Xiaoling Xiang
author_sort Ruopeng An
collection DOAJ
description Background: Outdoor physical activity (PA) brings important health benefits, but exposure to polluted air increases health risks. This study aimed to quantify the tradeoff of PA under fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution by estimating the optimal PA duration under various pollution levels. Methods: A risk-benefit analysis was performed to estimate the optimal outdoor moderate-intensity PA (MPA) duration under varying PM2.5 concentrations. Results: An inverse nonlinear relationship was identified between optimal MPA duration and background PM2.5 concentration levels. When background PM2.5 concentration increased to 186 µg/m3, the optimal outdoor MPA duration decreased to 2.5 h/week, the minimum level recommended by current PA guidelines. When background PM2.5 concentration further increased to 235 µg/m3, the optimal outdoor MPA duration decreased to 1 h/week. The relationship between optimal MPA duration and background PM2.5 concentration levels was stronger when exercising at a location closer to a source of air pollution. Compared to the general adult population, adults aged 60 years and older had substantially steeper curves—the optimal outdoor MPA duration decreased to 2.5 h/week when background PM2.5 concentration reached 45 µg/m3. Conclusion: The health benefit of outdoor MPA by far outweighs the health risk of PM2.5 pollution for the global average urban background concentration (22 μg/m3). This modeling study examined a single type of air pollutant and suffered from measurement errors and estimation uncertainties. Future research should examine other air pollutants and indoor PA, incorporate short- and mid-term health effects of MPA and air pollution into the risk-benefit analysis, and provide estimates specific for high-risk subgroups.
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spelling doaj.art-2973375e614f45e0af8286cb6ab8bd932022-12-22T01:54:05ZengElsevierJournal of Sport and Health Science2095-25462022-07-01114537544Engagement in outdoor physical activity under ambient fine particulate matter pollution: A risk-benefit analysisRuopeng An0Hyojung Kang1Lianzhong Cao2Xiaoling Xiang3Brown School, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USADepartment of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61820, USASchool of Management and Journalism, Shenyang Sport University, Shenyang 110102, China; Corresponding author.School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USABackground: Outdoor physical activity (PA) brings important health benefits, but exposure to polluted air increases health risks. This study aimed to quantify the tradeoff of PA under fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution by estimating the optimal PA duration under various pollution levels. Methods: A risk-benefit analysis was performed to estimate the optimal outdoor moderate-intensity PA (MPA) duration under varying PM2.5 concentrations. Results: An inverse nonlinear relationship was identified between optimal MPA duration and background PM2.5 concentration levels. When background PM2.5 concentration increased to 186 µg/m3, the optimal outdoor MPA duration decreased to 2.5 h/week, the minimum level recommended by current PA guidelines. When background PM2.5 concentration further increased to 235 µg/m3, the optimal outdoor MPA duration decreased to 1 h/week. The relationship between optimal MPA duration and background PM2.5 concentration levels was stronger when exercising at a location closer to a source of air pollution. Compared to the general adult population, adults aged 60 years and older had substantially steeper curves—the optimal outdoor MPA duration decreased to 2.5 h/week when background PM2.5 concentration reached 45 µg/m3. Conclusion: The health benefit of outdoor MPA by far outweighs the health risk of PM2.5 pollution for the global average urban background concentration (22 μg/m3). This modeling study examined a single type of air pollutant and suffered from measurement errors and estimation uncertainties. Future research should examine other air pollutants and indoor PA, incorporate short- and mid-term health effects of MPA and air pollution into the risk-benefit analysis, and provide estimates specific for high-risk subgroups.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254620301277Air pollutionExercisePhysical activityPM2.5Risk-benefit analysis
spellingShingle Ruopeng An
Hyojung Kang
Lianzhong Cao
Xiaoling Xiang
Engagement in outdoor physical activity under ambient fine particulate matter pollution: A risk-benefit analysis
Journal of Sport and Health Science
Air pollution
Exercise
Physical activity
PM2.5
Risk-benefit analysis
title Engagement in outdoor physical activity under ambient fine particulate matter pollution: A risk-benefit analysis
title_full Engagement in outdoor physical activity under ambient fine particulate matter pollution: A risk-benefit analysis
title_fullStr Engagement in outdoor physical activity under ambient fine particulate matter pollution: A risk-benefit analysis
title_full_unstemmed Engagement in outdoor physical activity under ambient fine particulate matter pollution: A risk-benefit analysis
title_short Engagement in outdoor physical activity under ambient fine particulate matter pollution: A risk-benefit analysis
title_sort engagement in outdoor physical activity under ambient fine particulate matter pollution a risk benefit analysis
topic Air pollution
Exercise
Physical activity
PM2.5
Risk-benefit analysis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254620301277
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AT lianzhongcao engagementinoutdoorphysicalactivityunderambientfineparticulatematterpollutionariskbenefitanalysis
AT xiaolingxiang engagementinoutdoorphysicalactivityunderambientfineparticulatematterpollutionariskbenefitanalysis