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Factors affecting outdoor exposure in winter: population-based study

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Abstract

The extent of outdoor exposure during winter and factors affecting it were examined in a cross-sectional population study in Finland. Men and women aged 25–74 years from the National FINRISK 2002 sub-study (n=6,591) were queried about their average weekly occupational, leisure-time and total cold exposure during the past winter. The effects of gender, age, area of residence, occupation, ambient temperature, self-rated health, physical activity and education on cold exposure were analysed. The self-reported median total cold exposure time was 7 h/week (8 h men, 6 h women),<1 h/week (2 h men, 0 h women) at work, 4 h/week (5 h men, 4 h women) during leisure time and 1 h/week (1 h men, 1.5 h women) while commuting to work. Factors associated with increased occupational cold exposure among men were: being employed in agriculture, forestry and industry/mining/construction or related occupations, being less educated and being aged 55–64 years. Factors associated with increased leisure-time cold exposure among men were: employment in industry/mining/construction or related occupations, being a pensioner or unemployed, reporting at least average health, being physically active and having college or vocational education. Among women, being a housewife, pensioner or unemployed and engaged in physical activity increased leisure-time cold exposure, and young women were more exposed than older ones. Self-rated health was positively associated with leisure time cold exposure in men and only to a minor extent in women. In conclusion, the subjects reported spending 4% of their total time under cold exposure, most of it (71%) during leisure time. Both occupational and leisure-time cold exposure is greater among men than women.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the Finnish Meteorological Institute for providing the temperature data. Many thanks also to Dr. Tiina Laatikainen from the National Institute of Public Health for providing detailed information of the study protocol. The study was supported by the Graduate School of Circumpolar Wellbeing, Health and Adaptation co-ordinated by the Centre for Arctic Medicine, Thule Institute at the University of Oulu.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Arctic Medicine, Thule Institute, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, University of Oulu, Finland

    Tiina M. Mäkinen & Mika Rytkönen

  2. Department of Public Health Sciences and General Practice, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, University of Oulu, Finland

    Veli-Pekka Raatikka, Jari Jokelainen, Simo Näyhä & Juhani Hassi

  3. Unit of General Practice, Oulu University Hospital, 90029, OYS, Finland

    Jari Jokelainen

  4. Oulu Regional Institute of Occupational Health, Aapistie 1, 90220, Oulu, Finland

    Hannu Rintamäki

  5. Department of Physiology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, University of Oulu, Finland

    Hannu Rintamäki

  6. Finnish Meteorological Institute, Climate Service, P.O. Box 503, 00101, Helsinki, Finland

    Reija Ruuhela

Authors
  1. Tiina M. Mäkinen
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  2. Veli-Pekka Raatikka
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  3. Mika Rytkönen
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  4. Jari Jokelainen
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  5. Hannu Rintamäki
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  6. Reija Ruuhela
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  7. Simo Näyhä
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  8. Juhani Hassi
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Correspondence to Tiina M. Mäkinen.

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Mäkinen, T.M., Raatikka, VP., Rytkönen, M. et al. Factors affecting outdoor exposure in winter: population-based study. Int J Biometeorol 51, 27–36 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-006-0040-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-006-0040-0

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