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Variations of wet-bulb globe temperature across high school athletics in South Carolina

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Abstract

The purpose was to describe wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) throughout a high school fall athletic season (August to November) after a state-wide mandate requiring schools to use a WBGT-guided activity modification table with categories (AMTC). A cross-sectional research design utilized 30 South Carolina high schools. The independent variables were region (upstate, midlands, and coastal), sport (football, tennis, cross-country), month, start times (7–10 am, 10 am–3 pm, 3–6 pm, and 6–9 pm), and event type (practice, competition). Dependent variables were event frequency, average WBGT, and AMTC. Practice WBGT was 78.7 ± 8.2 °F (range: 34.7 to 99.0 °F). A significant difference for WBGT across month (F6, 904.7 = 385.07, P < 0.001) existed, with early September hotter than all other months (84.8 °F ± 3.8, P < 0.001). Every month had practices in each AMTC, until early November. Most events (64.6%, n = 1986) did not change AMTC; however, 9.1% (n = 281) changed to a hotter category. The 10 am–3 pm start time was significantly hotter than all other time frames (83.0 °F ± 7.2, P < 0.05). Tennis experienced hotter practices (79.9 °F ± 6.9) than football (78.4 °F ± 8.5; P < 0.001) and cross country (78.2 °F ± 8.8, P < 0.001). Schools in the Midlands experienced hotter practices (80.1 °F ± 7.8) than upstate (P < 0.001) and coastal schools (P = 0.005). Competition WBGT was significantly cooler than practices (72.3 ± 10.5 °F, t = 12.04, P < 0.001) and differed across sports (F2, 20.78 = 18.39, P < .001). Both cross-country (P = 0.003) and tennis (P < 0.001) were hotter than football. Schools should continuously monitor WBGT throughout practices and until November to optimize AMTC use. Risk mitigation strategies are needed for sports other than football to decrease the risk of exertional heat illnesses.

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Data Availability

The dataset generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Exercise Science Department, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Susan Yeargin, Dylan Arango, Adam Graham, Amy Krebs & Sydney Turner

  2. School of Kinesiology, Louisana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisana, USA

    Rebecca Hirschhorn

  3. Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Andrew Grundstein

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  1. Susan Yeargin
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  2. Rebecca Hirschhorn
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  4. Dylan Arango
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Correspondence to Susan Yeargin.

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Yeargin, S., Hirschhorn, R., Grundstein, A. et al. Variations of wet-bulb globe temperature across high school athletics in South Carolina. Int J Biometeorol 67, 735–744 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-023-02449-9

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