title: The Impact of Weather on Mobility and Participation in Older U.S. Adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the impact of weather on the daily lives of US adults to understand which populations are most vulnerable to various weather conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data came from a 2013 supplement to the University of Michigan-Thomson Reuters Surveys of Consumers, a nationally representative telephone survey of 502 adults in the contiguous United States. We used logistic regressions to assess the odds of mobility difficulty and participation restriction during different weather conditions, as well as age group differences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ice was most likely to change the way respondents got around (reported by 47%). In icy conditions, participants had difficulty leaving home (40%) and driving (35%). Facing ice, older adults (≥ 65 years) had twice the odds of having great difficulty leaving home (odds ratio [OR] = 2.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12, 4.42) and curtailing work or volunteer activities (OR = 2.01; 95% CI = 1.01, 4.06), and 3 times the odds of difficulty driving (OR = 3.33; 95% CI = 1.62, 6.86) as younger respondents. We also found significant differences in mobility and participation by gender and region of residence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weather can affect social isolation, health, well-being, and mortality among older US adults.
authors.affiliation: Philippa J. Clarke, Ting Yan, and Florian Keusch are with the Institute for Social Research; Philippa J. Clarke is also with the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health; and Nancy Ambrose Gallagher is with the School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: Philippa J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Keusch
authors.forename: Nancy Ambrose
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Gallagher
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011891:Rain; D012621:Seasons; D012914:Snow; D058992:Social Participation; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014887:Weather; D055815:Young Adult