Association of Workplace Supports with Active Commuting

This article reports on a study of active commuting, focusing on the institutional factors that influence active commuting. The authors examined the association between cultural and physical workplace supports for active commuting and actual employee active commuting behavior. The authors conducted an online survey of employees (n = 375) in Manhattan, Kansas. Physical and cultural supports for active commuting in the workplace were measured separately. Active commuting frequency was divided into two groups: 0 trips per week or at least 1 trip per week by foot or bicycle. Analyses were conducted by sex and age and for the full sample. The authors found that, among the full sample, employees who reported more physical and cultural supports in the workplace for active commuting were more likely to walk or bicycle to work at least once per week. Physical supports include the availability of bicycle parking, bicycle storage policies, and showers or lockers at the workplace. Cultural supports considered include the extent to which the employers encourage active commuting, as well as the perceived number of coworkers who actively commute to work. Significant, positive relationships between cultural and physical supports and active commuting were observed for women but not for men. Both younger and older adults who reported 2 or more physical supports in the workplace were more likely to actively commute, but no relationship was observed for cultural supports. The study found that the most influential types of individual supports were perceiving that other coworkers actively commute, and the presence of bicycle parking and a bicycle storage policy at the workplace. The authors conclude that the presence of workplace physical and cultural supports is related to more active commuting behavior and may especially encourage active commuting among women. An appendix reprints the survey questionnaire.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2010/nov/09_0193.htm
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/15451151
• Authors:
  • Kaczynski, Andrew T
  • Bopp, Melissa J
  • Wittman, Pamela
• Publication Date: 2010-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Appendices; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 9p
• Serial:
  • Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice and Policy
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • ISSN: 1545-1151
  • Serial URL: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/index.htm

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycle commuting; Bicycle parking; Commuting; Culture (Social sciences); Employees; Employers; Females; Males; Peer groups; Psychological aspects; Social factors; Surveys; Walking
• Uncontrolled Terms: Age factors
• Geographic Terms: Manhattan (Kansas)
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01351539
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 14 2011 11:11AM