Mass community cycling events: who participates and is their behaviour influenced by participation?

A family-based approach examining perceptions of an Australian TRYathlon series on children’s health and development

Regular physical activity supports children’s physical and psychological health and wellbeing, and provides opportunities to build social and emotional skills such as resilience, confidence, and self-efficacy. Research has demonstrated that mass participant sporting events can serve as important social and environmental correlates of physical activity. This study sought to explore parents and children’s perceived motivations and perspectives of participation in the Australian Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon (a non-competitive triathlon series), on children’s health and well-being. An exploratory qualitative design utilizing seven focus groups were conducted with 27 family units including 31 parents and 61 children (age 7–15 years old). Data were recorded, professionally transcribed and then analyzed using thematic analysis. Three overarching themes were identified, including (1) motivations for event and physical activity participation, revealing social interaction, peer support and friendly competition as motivators for participation as well as parents’ interest in supporting the development of healthy habits; (2) Perceived physical activity, fitness, and developmental benefits, detailing changes to the types of physical activity children performed as well as opportunities for children to develop physical skills and competencies; and (3) Perceived psychosocial benefits of participation, highlighting opportunities for children to develop and demonstrate independence and autonomy through event participation. Notably, parents and children identified benefits beyond immediate participation including increased family engagement and social support. Mass participant events hold the potential to elicit a range of benefits for children and their families; however, further efforts may be needed to engage less active or disengaged families.

An evidence-based assessment of the impact of the Olympic Games on population levels of physical activity

Pre-Olympic Games predictions commonly include an increase in population-based physical activity in the host city, as often stated in the bid, but the post-Olympic Games effects on physical activity have not been summarised. In this Series paper, we aim to do the following: examine mentions of a physical activity legacy in pre-Olympic bid documentation; analyse existing physical activity surveillance data collected before, during, and after the Olympic Games in hosting areas around the world; and evaluate Google Trends data surrounding the London 2012 Olympic Games as a case study of community interest in the topic of exercise during the time of the Olympic Games. Before 2007, little mention of physical activity was made in pre-Olympic Games documentation, but, after that, most documents had targets for population physical activity or sports participation. The synthesis of available surveillance data indicates that there was no change in the prevalence of physical activity or sports participation, except for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano; although, the increase in participation in Nagano might not be attributable to the Olympic Games since there was no change in participation in winter sports. The Google Trends data showed an acute spike in searches with the term "Olympic" immediately associated with the London Olympic Games period and showed a sustained peri-Olympic increase in searches with the term "exercise". By themselves, the Olympic Games have not improved population-wide physical activity but might be an important missed public health opportunity. Such a legacy will require strategic planning and partnerships across the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic, sport, and public health agencies and a thorough evaluation framework implemented throughout the pre-Olympic Games and post-Olympic Games period in the host country.

Sport Events for Sport Participation: A Scoping Review

Research on sport participation impacts from sport events has been sporadic. This scoping review assesses the current state of literature that addresses impacts, legacies, and leveraging of sport events for sport participation outcomes and the gaps in terms of study context and research designs. Two systematic approaches of article identification were performed: a traditional database search and a systematic manual search. Studies on sport participation outcomes from events mainly focused on mega sport events and adult populations, with the majority employing cross-sectional data and quantitative methods. The use theoretical of frameworks is limited and inconsistent. There is a need for longitudinal investigations, as well as more focus on youth populations, participant events, and smaller-sized events to advance the research agenda for sport participation outcomes from sport events.

Changes in physical activity, weight and wellbeing outcomes among attendees of a weekly mass participation event: a prospective 12-month study

BACKGROUND

Mass participation events are recognized as a way of engaging low-active individuals in health-enhancing physical activity, but there is a need to investigate the sustained effects on behaviour and health. This study aimed to examine changes in self-reported physical activity, weight and wellbeing over 12 months in participants of parkrun, a weekly mass participation 5 km running event.

METHODS

New parkrun registrants (n = 354) completed self-reported measures of physical activity, weight, happiness and stress, at registration, 6 months and 12 months. Objective data on attendance and fitness (i.e. run dates and finishing times) were obtained from the parkrun database.

RESULTS

Overall physical activity levels were high at baseline, but significantly increased over the first 6 months, before declining. By 12 months, weekly physical activity was 39 min higher than baseline. Significant reductions in body mass index were observed over 12 months, with a weight loss of 1.1% in the whole sample, and 2.4% among overweight participants. Modest increases in happiness and decreases in perceived stress were recorded. Run times suggested a 12% improvement in fitness during the study.

CONCLUSION

Significant changes in weight, fitness and wellbeing outcomes indicate the public health benefits of regular participation in parkrun.

Increased Physical Activity in Preparation for a Women-Only Mass Participation Sport Event: A Framework for Estimating the Health Impact

Mass participation sporting events (MPSEs) are increasing in popularity. However, little research exists into the potential value of these events for improving public health by enhancing physical activity (PA). The aim of this study is to estimate the health impact of increased physical activity as a result of preparing for an MPSE. Participants of a mass participation women-only running event were asked if they performed additional PA in preparation of the event, including the length (weeks) and intensity (min per week). Additionally, self-reported change in health status was evaluated. Based on these results, we have developed a framework for estimating the cumulatively gained quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and monetary value thereof. Of the respondents (N = 468; mean age 42.3 ± 11.9 years), 32% performed additional vigorous PA in preparation of the event, with an average of 63 min per week over 8.8 weeks. Performing additional vigorous PA significantly improved the odds of self-rated health. The estimated total health impact of participants preparing for the Marikenloop was 6.6 QALYs gained with a corresponding monetary value between EUR 133,000 and EUR 532,000. We believe our health impact framework helps to understand that MPSEs can be a notable part of the public health domain.

Do "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun?" Participation Trends and Motivational Profiles of Women in the Birkebeiner Races, Norway's Ultimate Mass Participation Ski Event

Mass participation sporting events (MPSEs) are viewed as encouraging regular exercise in the population, but concerns have been expressed about the extent to which they are inclusive for women. This study focuses on an iconic cross-country skiing MPSE in Norway, the Birkebeiner race (BR), which includes different variants (main, Friday, half-distance, and women-only races). In order to shed light on women's participation in this specific MPSE, as well as add to the understanding of women's MPSEs participation in general, this study was set up to: (i) analyze trends in women's participation, (ii) examine the characteristics, and (iii) identify key factors characterizing the motivational profile of women in different BR races, with emphasis on the full-distance vs. the women-only races. Entries in the different races throughout the period 1996-2018 were analyzed using an autoregressive model. Information on women's sociodemographic characteristics, sport and exercise participation, and a range of psychological variables (motives, perceptions, overall satisfaction, and future participation intention) were extracted from a market survey and analyzed using a machine learning (ML) approach (n = 1,149). Additionally, qualitative information generated through open-ended questions was analyzed thematically (n = 116). The relative prevalence of women in the main BR was generally low (< 20%). While the other variants contributed to boosting women's participation in the overall event, a future increment of women in the main BR was predicted, with women's ratings possibly matching the men's by the year 2034. Across all races, most of the women were physically active, of medium-high income, and living in the most urbanized region of Norway. Satisfaction and future participation intention were relatively high, especially among the participants in the women-only races. "Exercise goal" was the predominant participation motive. The participants in women-only races assigned greater importance to social aspects, and perceived the race as a tradition, whereas those in the full-distance races were younger and gave more importance to performance aspects. These findings corroborate known trends and challenges in MPSE participation, but also contribute to greater understanding in this under-researched field. Further research is needed in order to gain more knowledge on how to foster women's participation in MPSEs.

Physical activity and attitudes and perceptions towards physical activity in patients with spondyloarthritis: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To review systematically and synthesize qualitatively the literature about physical activity and perceptions and attitudes towards physical activity/exercise among patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA).

METHODS

PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus and reference lists were searched for quantitative and qualitative studies reporting on beliefs towards exercise in patients with SpA. Searches were limited to studies published from January 2000 through December 2018. The PRISMA guidelines were followed. Systematic searches identified 128 publications which underwent a title, abstract, or full-text review. Studies were excluded if articles were not in English or did not include original data. We summarized the methodologic quality using modified criteria for quantitative and qualitative studies.

RESULTS

Eight quantitative and three qualitative studies met eligibility criteria, with variable study quality. Based on self-reported data, 50% to 68% of patients with SpA met physical activity recommendations with walking, swimming/pool exercise, and cycling the most common forms reported. Intrinsic factors such as motivation and improvement in symptoms and health were commonly reported as facilitators associated with physical activity/exercise. Barriers included lack of time, fatigue, and symptoms such as pain.

CONCLUSION

One third to one half of patients with SpA do not meet physical activity recommendations. Given the potential for regular physical activity to reduce symptom burden in this patient population and the recommendation for regular physical activity as part of the management of these patients, more rigorous studies of physical activity behaviors and attitudes will be useful to inform interventions and promote exercise among individuals with SpA.

Do people's goals for mass participation sporting events matter? A self-determination theory perspective

Background

Non-elite mass participation sports events (MPSEs) may hold potential as a physical activity promotion tool. Research into why people participate in these events and what goals they are pursuing is lacking. Grounded in self-determination theory, this study examined the associations between MPSE participants' goals, event experiences and physical activity.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted; pre-event, participants reported their goals for the event. Four weeks post-event, participants reported their motivation for exercise, perceptions of their event achievement and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA). Bivariate correlations and path analysis were performed on data from 114 adults.

Results

Intrinsic goals (e.g. health, skill and social affiliation) for the event were positively associated with perceptions of event achievement, whereas extrinsic goals (e.g. appearance or social recognition) were not. Event achievement was positively associated with post-event autonomous motivation, which in turn was positively associated with MVPA.

Conclusions

Pursuing intrinsic but not extrinsic goals for MPSEs is associated with greater perceptions of event achievement, which in turn is associated with post-event autonomous motivation and MVPA.

The Injury and Illness Profile of Male and Female Participants in a 94.7 km Cycle Race: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

To describe the incidence and patterns of injury and illness of male and female participants during a 94.7 km distance cycling event.

DESIGN

Descriptive study.

SETTING

Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge 2014.

PARTICIPANTS

All 23 055 race starters (males = 17 520, females = 5236, not specified = 299).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The incidence and type of all medical complaints and difference between sexes.

RESULTS

Incidence (per 1000 race starters) of all medical complaints was 38.69 (males = 36.52, females = 38.39), adverse medical events 11.88 (males = 10.73, females = 16.42) and serious adverse events 1.3 (males = 0.86, females = 2.67). The incidence of nontraumatic medical complaints was 32.49 (males = 33.39, females = 31.32) and of traumatic injuries was 3.99 (males = 3.14, females = 7.07). Females compared to males had a higher risk of sustaining traumatic injuries (P < 0.001), central nervous system, (P = 0.0062) and eye complaints (P = 0.0107). Most complaints (80.6%) were reported for the musculoskeletal system. Males 10-15 years (P = 0.0013) and females 23-39 years (P = 0.0336), and older than 50 years (P = 0.0002) had a higher than expected risk for traumatic injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

Medical complaints ratio reported was 1:26 (males = 1:28, females = 1:26) in all starters during the cycling event. Cyclists that did not finish the race (adverse events) were 1:84 (males = 1:93, females = 1:61). Serious adverse events that required hospitalization were 1:769 (males = 1:1163, females = 1:374). The majority of admissions were for traumatic injuries, followed by cardiovascular complaints. Results from this study indicated that a wide spectrum of medical complaints can be expected during such an event with a higher risk for females to sustain traumatic injuries and to encounter central nervous system and eye complaints. Information regarding the pattern and type of medical encounters can prove useful during planning and management of similar future events.

When helping helps: exploring health benefits of cancer survivors participating in for-cause physical activity events

BACKGROUND

Over 15.5 million Americans live with cancer and 5-year survival rates have risen to 69%. Evidence supports important health benefits of regular physical activity for cancer survivors, including increased strength and quality of life, and reduced fatigue, recurrence, and mortality. However, physical activity participation among cancer survivors remains low. Cancer organizations provide various resources and support for cancer survivors, including emotional, instrumental, informational, and appraisal support. Many cancer organizations, like the LIVESTRONG Foundation, support the cancer community by sponsoring and hosting for-cause physical activity events, providing opportunities for anyone (including cancer survivors) to "help"/support those living with cancer. The concept of helping others has been positively related with wellbeing, physical activity, and multiple health behaviors for those helping. However, the role of helping others has not been examined in the context of being physically active to help others or its relationship with overall physical activity and quality of life among those helping. Therefore, we developed a path model to examine relationships between cancer survivors' (1) desire to help others with cancer, (2) physically active LIVESTRONG participation to help others, (3) regular physical activity engagement, and (4) quality of life.

METHODS

In 2010, 3257 cancer survivors responded to an online survey sent to all people involved with the LIVESTRONG organization at any level. The hypothesized path model was tested using path analysis (Mplus 8).

RESULTS

After list-wise deletion of missing responses, our final sample size was 3122 (61.8% female, mean age: 48.2 years [SD = 12.7]). Results indicated that the model yielded perfect fit indexes. Controlling for age, sex, income, and survivorship length, desire to help was positively related with physically active LIVESTRONG participation (β = .11, p < .001), which was positively related with regular physical activity (β = .30, p < .001), and regular physical activity was positively related with quality of life (β = .194, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that cancer survivors can benefit from participating in for-cause physical activity events, including more regular physical activity. Researchers need to further investigate the role of helping others when examining health behaviors and outcomes, and cancer organizations should continue encouraging cancer survivors to help others by participating in physical activity events.

Exploring the Health-Promoting Potential of the “parkrun” Phenomenon: What Factors are Associated With Higher Levels of Participation?

Purpose:

“ parkrun” is a free and increasingly popular weekly 5-km walk/run international community event, representing a novel setting for physical activity (PA) promotion. However, little is known about who participates or why. This study aimed to identify sociodemographic, health, behavioral, individual, social, and environmental factors associated with higher levels of participation.

Design:

Cross-sectional.

Setting:

Tasmania, Australia; June 2016.

Participants:

Three hundred seventy two adult parkrun participants.

Measures:

Online survey measuring sociodemographic, health, individual, social and environmental factors, parkrun participation, and PA.

Analysis:

Descriptive statistics, zero-truncated Poisson regression models.

Results:

Respondents (n = 371) were more commonly women (58%), aged 35 to 53 years (54%), and occasional or nonwalkers/runners (53%) at registration. A total of 44% had overweight/obesity. Half had non-adult children, most spoke English at home, and 7% reported PA-limiting illness/injury/disability. Average run/walk time was 30.2 ± 7.4 minutes. Compared to regular walkers/runners at registration, nonwalkers/runners were less commonly partnered, more commonly had overweight/obesity, less physically active, and had poorer self-rated health. Multivariate analyses revealed relative parkrun participation was inversely associated with education level and positively associated with interstate parkrun participation, perceived social benefits, self-efficacy for parkrun, and intentions to participate.

Conclusion:

parkrun attracts nonwalkers/runners and population groups hard to engage in physical activity. Individual- and social-level factors were associated with higher relative parkrun participation. parkrun’s scalability, accessibility, and wide appeal confers a research imperative to investigate its potential for public health gain.

Injuries and Illnesses Occurring on a Recreational Bicycle Tour: The Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure

OBJECTIVE

Recreational multiday cycling events have grown popular in the United States; however, little has been published regarding the injuries and illnesses that occur during these events. The objective of this study was to describe injuries and illnesses that occur in the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA) and to examine associated risk factors.

METHODS

Injury and illness data collected from an on-site medical clinic during the 2013 and 2014 GOBA tours were merged with rider registration data for analysis. Diagnoses were classified as acute injury, overuse injury, or medical illness. The odds ratios of sustaining at least 1 injury/illness, as well as sustaining an acute injury, were assessed adjusting for riders' demographics.

RESULTS

A total of 4005 (2172 in 2013 and 1833 in 2014) cyclists participated in GOBA, with an an age of 50.7±17.6 (2-86) years (mean±SD [range]), of whom 59.8% were male. During the tours, 143 (3.6%) riders reported at least 1 injury/illness, which resulted in 220 clinical diagnoses, including 114 (51.8%) acute injuries, 27 (12.3 %) overuse injuries, and 79 (35.9%) medical illnesses. The lower extremities were the most commonly injured body site (n=71, 50.4%). "Superficial/Abrasions/Contusions" was the most common injury/illness type (n=68, 30.9%). Riders who had no previous tour experience or who were at least 50 years old had a greater risk of injury/illness than their counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of injury and illness is relatively low in multiday recreational cycling events. Our findings provide important data for planning and preparing for medical coverage at mass recreational cycling events.

Running on a high: parkrun and personal well-being

Background

Sporting or physical recreation event participation can affect different domains of mental and social well-being if sufficiently frequent, yet previous research has focused mainly on the physical health benefits of single-location or infrequent mass-participation events. We examined overall and domain specific subjective well-being of adult participants of “parkrun”, a weekly, community-based, highly accessible and widespread running event.

Methods

Data were from a national online survey of 865 adult Australian parkrunners. Scores on nine individual measures and the global Personal Well-being Index (PWI) were compared to national, normative data. Regression models tested associations between personal well-being and perceived benefits of parkrun (mental health and connection to community).

Results

Of 100 scores, 28% of means for parkrunners fell outside overall and age and gender subgroups normative ranges. Satisfaction with health was higher for male, those aged over 45 and overall parkrunners; only parkrunners aged 18–24 fell below their age group norm. Satisfaction with life as a whole was positively associated with perceived mental health benefits of parkrun, but not perceived community connection for women, and neither measure for men. PWI was positively associated with perceived community connection for men and with mental health benefit for women.

Conclusions

Australian parkrunners mostly reflect the general population on personal well-being, except report superior satisfaction with physical health. Women’s personal well-being may benefit from parkrun through improved mental health and men’s from community connectedness. parkrun may facilitate positive expression of identity and continuation of healthy habits among athletes, and non-demanding, health enhancing activity and social interaction for non-athletes.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4620-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Role of Autonomous and Controlled Motivation in Exercise Intentions of Participants in a Mass Cycling Event

Purpose: This study used self-determination theory to examine the role of participants' autonomous and controlled motivation to exercise and to participate in a challenging mass cycling event and investigated whether the event enhanced intended and actual exercise behavior among the participants.

Method: Two hundred and twenty-eight subjects, having participated in the cycling event, completed a questionnaire shortly after the event and again 4 months later. The questionnaire measured self-reported cycling and exercise activity, training in preparation of the event, motivation to participate in the event, motivation to exercise, and future exercise intentions due to the event.

Results: Results showed that most participants were very active in cycling and other sports. The expected positive effect of autonomous motivation on exercise intentions and behavior could not be confirmed in our study. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the event had an enhancing effect on exercise intentions shortly after the event among participants that scored higher on controlled motivation to exercise (β = 0.15) and to participate (β = 0.15); also, participants were more satisfied with the event (β = 0.19) and had followed a preparation program before the event (β = 0.15). However, intentions and exercise behavior distinctively dropped 4 months after the event.

Conclusions: Events aiming to enhance their participants' exercise behavior need to attract less active participants and need to make additional efforts to prevent relapse in intentions and exercise behavior.

EVENT PRESTIGE AS A MEDIATOR BETWEEN SPORT INVOLVEMENT AND INTENT TO CONTINUE PARTICIPATION

The current study examined perceived event prestige as a mediator between sport involvement and sport participation behavioral intent. A total of 455 participants (M age = 28.6 yr., SD = 9.1) were recruited at the 2013 Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon. The findings indicated that a model in which perceived event prestige partially mediated the relationship between sport involvement and intent to return to the event was most representative of the data. While individuals with higher sport involvement were more likely to indicate an interest in continued participation, this relationship was strongest among those who perceived the event to be particularly prestigious. Thus, those who market mass participation sporting events should use strategies designed to emphasize the prestigious stature of the event and should employ measures to increase sport involvement among participants.

An Analysis of Patient Presentations at a 2-Day Mass-participation Cycling Event: The Ride to Conquer Cancer Case Series, 2010-2012

Objective

To analyze the unique factors involved in providing medical support for a long-distance, cross-border, cycling event, and to describe patient presentations and event characteristics for the British Columbia (BC) Ride to Conquer Cancer from 2010 through 2012.

Methods

This study was a 3-year, descriptive case series report. Medical encounters were documented, prospectively, from 2010-2012 using an online registry. Data for event-related variables also were reported.

Results

Providing medical support for participants during the 2-day ride was complicated by communication challenges, weather conditions, and cross-border issues. The total number of participants for the ride increased from 2,252 in 2010 to 2,879 in 2011, and 3,011 in 2012. Patient presentation rates (PPRs) of 125.66, 155.26, and 198.93 (per 1,000 participants) were documented from 2010 through 2012. Over the course of three years, and not included in the PPR, an additional 3,840 encounters for “self-treatment” were documented.

Conclusions

The Ride to Conquer Cancer Series has shown that medical coverage at multi-day, cross-national cycling events must be planned carefully to face a unique set of circumstances, including legislative issues, long-distance communication capabilities, and highly mobile participants. This combination of factors leads to potentially higher PPRs than have been reported for noncycling events. This study also illuminates the additional workload “self-treatment” visits place on the medical team.

LundA, TurrisSA, WangP, MuiJ, LewisK, GutmanSJ. An analysis of patient presentations at a 2-day mass-participation cycling event: The Ride to Conquer Cancer Case Series, 2010-2012. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(4):1-8.

[Cycling to achieve healthy and sustainable alternatives]

The quest for healthier cities and citizens has contributed to the strengthening of public policies championing the bicycle as a means of transportation and offering benefits to individual wellbeing in various countries, however there is also an increased risk of accidents. The scope of this review is to analyze scientific output dealing with the relationship between cycling as a means of transportation and public health. PubMed, LILACS and SciELO were the chosen databases used in the research and 66 complete articles were selected. The results show that concern about this theme is recent, especially in developing countries. The most recurrent topics raised by the researchers were: traffic safety, public policies and the effects of cycling on health. We concluded that the decision to use the bicycle as a means of transportation occurs in a very heterogeneous manner, albeit with potentially greater impacts in developing countries where the inclusion of this theme in the research agendas related to the promotion of active transport, health and traffic safety is a matter of urgency.

The effectiveness of community-based cycling promotion: findings from the Cycling Connecting Communities project in Sydney, Australia

Background

Encouraging cycling is an important way to increase physical activity in the community. The Cycling Connecting Communities (CCC) Project is a community-based cycling promotion program that included a range of community engagement and social marketing activities, such as organised bike rides and events, cycling skills courses, the distribution of cycling maps of the area and coverage in the local press. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of this program designed to encourage the use of newly completed off-road cycle paths through south west Sydney, Australia.

Methods

The evaluation used a quasi-experimental design that consisted of a pre- and post-intervention telephone survey (24 months apart) of a cohort of residents (n = 909) in the intervention area (n = 520) (Fairfield and Liverpool) and a socio-demographically similar comparison area (n = 389) (Bankstown). Both areas had similar bicycle infrastructure. Four bicycle counters were placed on the main bicycle paths in the intervention and comparison areas to monitor daily bicycle use before and after the intervention.

Results

The telephone survey results showed significantly greater awareness of the Cycling Connecting Communities project (13.5% vs 8.0%, p < 0.05) in the intervention area, with significantly higher rates of cycling in the intervention area (32.9%) compared with the comparison area (9.7%) amongst those aware of the project. There was a significant increase in use of bicycle paths in the intervention area (28.3% versus 16.2%, p < 0.05). These findings were confirmed by the bike count data.

Conclusion

Despite relatively modest resources, the Cycling Connecting Communities project achieved significant increases in bicycle path use, and increased cycling in some sub-groups. However, this community based intervention with limited funding had very limited reach into the community and did not increase population cycling levels.

Infrastructure, programs, and policies to increase bicycling: an international review

OBJECTIVES

To assess existing research on the effects of various interventions on levels of bicycling. Interventions include infrastructure (e.g., bike lanes and parking), integration with public transport, education and marketing programs, bicycle access programs, and legal issues.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed and non-reviewed research identified 139 studies. Study methodologies varied considerably in type and quality, with few meeting rigorous standards. Secondary data were gathered for 14 case study cities that adopted multiple interventions.

RESULTS

Many studies show positive associations between specific interventions and levels of bicycling. The 14 case studies show that almost all cities adopting comprehensive packages of interventions experienced large increases in the number of bicycle trips and share of people bicycling.

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the evidence examined in this review supports the crucial role of public policy in encouraging bicycling. Substantial increases in bicycling require an integrated package of many different, complementary interventions, including infrastructure provision and pro-bicycle programs, supportive land use planning, and restrictions on car use.

Cycling and walking to work in New Zealand, 1991-2006: regional and individual differences, and pointers to effective interventions

BACKGROUND

Active commuting increases levels of physical activity and is more likely to be adopted and sustained than exercise programmes. Despite the potential health, environmental, social and economic benefits, cycling and walking are increasingly marginal modes of transport in many countries. This paper investigated regional and individual differences in cycling and walking to work in New Zealand over the 15-year period (1991-2006).

METHODS

New Zealand Census data (collected every five years) were accessed to analyse self-reported information on the "main means of travel to work" from individuals aged 15 years and over who are usually resident and employed in New Zealand. This analysis investigated differences in patterns of active commuting to work stratified by region, age, gender and personal income.

RESULTS

In 2006, over four-fifths of New Zealanders used a private vehicle, one in fourteen walked and one in forty cycled to work. Increased car use from 1991 to 2006 occurred at the expense of active means of travel as trends in public transport use remained unchanged during that period. Of the 16 regions defined at meshblock and area unit level, Auckland had the lowest prevalence of cycling and walking. In contrast to other regions, walking to work increased in Wellington and Nelson, two regions which have made substantial investments in local infrastructure to promote active transport. Nationally, cycling prevalence declined with age whereas a U-shaped trend was observed for walking. The numbers of younger people cycling to work and older people walking to work declined substantially from 1991 to 2006. Higher proportions of men compared with women cycled to work. The opposite was true for walking with an increasing trend observed in women aged under 30 years. Walking to work was less prevalent among people with higher income.

CONCLUSION

We observed a steady decline in cycling and walking to work from 1991 to 2006, with two regional exceptions. This together with the important differences in travel patterns by age, gender and personal income highlights opportunities to target and modify transport policies in order to promote active commuting.