Elderly in China Prefer Outdoor Activities in Summer, Study Reveals

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A recent study conducted at the Anyang Institute of Technology in Anyang, People's Republic of China, has found that the elderly in China prefer to go outdoors in summer, despite extreme heat waves posing a significant challenge. The research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, aimed to assess the thermal adaptation of the elderly in open spaces during periods of high temperature. The study involved an on-site test and survey of 557 valid samples, including microclimate parameters, visiting patterns, and subjective responses, which revealed that the temperature-related parameters in shaded areas were significantly lower than those in open spaces.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that 47.5% of the elderly participants visited the park daily, and 33.6% chose to go out even when the temperature reached 36.8 ± 2.6 °C.
  • The thermal sensitivity of the elderly was significantly lower than that of the non-elderly participants, indicating that they were more resilient to high temperatures.
  • Both groups showed a high level of thermal acceptability at elevated temperatures, with no significant difference between the two groups.
  • The study concluded that the high acceptability of high temperatures among the elderly may be attributed to psychological adaptation driven by their willingness for outdoor activities.
  • The standard effective temperature was 32.4 °C for 80% thermal acceptability and 25.7 °C for 90% acceptability for the elderly participants.

Statistics:

  • 557 valid samples were collected from the study.
  • 47.5% of the elderly participants visited the park daily.
  • 33.6% of the elderly participants chose to go out even when the temperature reached 36.8 ± 2.6 °C.
  • The temperature-related parameters in shaded areas were significantly lower than those in open spaces.

Sources:

  • Field study of thermal comfort of the elderly in tree-shaded areas of urban parks in the cold area of China. Scientific Reports, 2025;15(1):23276.
  • Nature Publishing Group. (www.nature.com/)
  • Scientific Reports. (www.nature.com/srep/)
  • Yaqian Wang, Zhongjun Zhang, and Zhaoji Wu. School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, 455000, People's Republic of China.
  • Nature Portfolio, Heidelberger Platz 3, Berlin, 14197, Germany.