One of our goals at Open Humans is to provide updates on participating studies.
Keeping Pace examines how exercise patterns correlate to the environment. Dr. Rumi Chunara spoke in depth about the study at this year’s Health Data Exploration Network Meeting:
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Watch her talk on YouTube to learn:
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Why the ‘built environment’ matters
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Implications of using personally-generated data for research
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Specific exercise trends observed so far
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Dr. Chunara and her team have proven the efficacy of their data by garnering results consistent with findings from social media research:
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People are most active on the weekends.
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People are least active on Fridays.
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The most popular weekday for exercise is Tuesday. (Feel free to speculate on why this is!)
They use data from the free Runkeeper app* to find out:
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Where are people most active?
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How does this compare to others who live nearby?
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What activities do people choose for recreation?
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What activities do people choose for transportation?
*They’re looking into expanding to other sources. Stay tuned!
According to the CDC, 71% of adults in the United States are overweight and 35% are obese. Although diet is a significant factor, there are environmental influences as well. Keeping Pace aspires to help inform urban planning and transportation policy changes that could improve public health.
So keep exercising…
And let your workout data be a resource for the greater good!
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