Active Commuting Behaviours from High School to University in Chile: A Retrospective Study

Do Active Commuters Feel More Competent and Vital? A Self-Organizing Maps Analysis in University Students

University students represent a population that faces high risks regarding physical inactivity. Research suggests that a regular engagement in physical activity (PA) may be more likely established when it leads to the experience of subjective vitality. Subjective vitality, in turn, is more likely achieved through physical activities that individuals feel competent in, and that take place in natural outdoor environments. An activity that may fulfill these conditions is active commuting to and from university (ACU). To examine whether and in which form ACU can combine this promising pattern of aspects, a person-oriented analysis was conducted. The sample contained 484 university students (59.3% females). Leisure-time PA, ACU by walking, ACU by cycling, subjective vitality, PA-related competence and body mass index were included as input variables in a self-organizing maps analysis. For both female and male university students, the identified clusters indicated that students who intensively engaged in ACU did not exhibit subjective vitality levels above average. Consistently, they did not show elevated levels of PA-related competence, which suggests that ACU does not support the perception of their physical abilities. Considerations regarding urban university environments lacking sufficient natural elements finally add to the conclusion that engaging in ACU does not suffice to establish a vitality-supportive and thus sustainable PA behavior. Additionally, the identified clusters illustrate a large heterogeneity regarding the interaction between leisure-time PA, body mass index and subjective vitality.

Active Commuting to University Is Positively Associated with Physical Activity and Perceived Fitness

Background: Fitness is a powerful marker of health associated with physical activity (PA) in university students. However, insufficient PA is a serious health concern among university students. Active commuting provides an opportunity for increased PA levels. Therefore, the aims of this study were (a) to describe the mode of commuting, PA and fitness in university students; (b) to analyze the associations of mode of commuting with PA and fitness; and c) to analyze the relationship between mode of commuting, PA recommendations and fitness. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 1257 university students (52.4% women) participated (22.4 ± 5.6 years old). Results: Public commuting was the main mode to and from university. Active and public commuters were more likely to meet the PA recommendations and reported higher muscular strength than those using private commuting. Active and public commuters who met PA recommendations present the highest fitness in most of its components. Conclusions: Achieving the PA recommendations was more relevant than adopting an active mode of commuting in order to have better fitness. Further research targeting a broader understanding of the mode of commuting, PA levels and fitness in university students is needed.

New Self-Report Measures of Commuting Behaviors to University and Their Association with Sociodemographic Characteristics

Active commuting provides an opportunity for increased physical activity levels by a simple, inexpensive, and easy way to be incorporated in daily routines and could be considered a steppingstone for achieving a sustainable society since it provides physical, psychological, environmental, and economic benefits. Objective: (a) to describe the commuting patterns to and from university in students regarding gender, (b) to provide new self-report variables to measure the active commuting behavior, and (c) to examine the sociodemographic characteristics associated with commuting behaviors. Material and Methods: A total of 1257 university students (52.4% females) participated (22.4 ± 5.6 years old) from three Chilean universities located in different cities. Results: 56.1% of women and 42.0% men use public bus to and from university. The commuting energy expenditure was higher in active commuting followed by public and private modes of commuting (p < 0.001). The most active commuters were those older (men: OR = 3.637; 95% CI = 1.63, 8.10; women: OR = 8.841; 95% CI = 3.94, 13.78), those who lived in university residence (men: OR = 12.432; 95% CI = 4.39, 35.19; women: OR = 3.952; 95% CI = 1.31, 11.85), belonged to low socioeconomic level (men: OR = 3.820; 95% CI = 1.43, 10.18; women: OR = 4.936; 95% CI = 1.63, 14.90), and to public universities (men: OR = 26.757; 95% CI = 10.63, 67.34; women: OR = 8.029; 95% CI = 3.00, 21.48). Conclusion: The sociodemographic characteristics may influence in the mode of commuting to university. New variables of commuting behaviors may be efficient to quantify the physical activity.

Environmental and Psychosocial Barriers Affect the Active Commuting to University in Chilean Students

Biking and walking are active commuting, which is considered an opportunity to create healthy habits. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the main environmental and psychosocial barriers perceived by students, leading to less Active Commuting (AC) to university and to not reaching the Physical Activity (PA) recommendations. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1349 university students (637 men and 712 women) were selected. A self-reported questionnaire was applied to assess the mode of commuting, PA level and barriers to the use of the AC. Results: Women presented higher barriers associated with passive commuting than men. The main barriers for women were “involves too much planning” (OR: 5.25; 95% CI: 3.14–8.78), “It takes too much time” (OR: 4.62; 95% CI: 3.05–6.99) and “It takes too much physical effort “ (OR: 3.18; 95% CI: 2.05–4.94). In men, the main barriers were “It takes too much time” (OR: 4.22; 95% CI: 2.97–5.99), “involves too much planning” (OR: 2.49; 95% CI: 1.67–3.70) and “too much traffic along the route” (OR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.47–2.93). Psychosocial barriers were found in both sexes. Conclusions: Psychosocial and personal barriers were more positively associated with passive commuting than environmental barriers. Interventions at the university are necessary to improve the perception of AC and encourage personal organization to travel more actively.

Why Do Students Walk or Cycle for Transportation? Perceived Study Environment and Psychological Determinants as Predictors of Active Transportation by University Students

University students are particularly at risk to suffer from physical and psychological complaints and for not fulfilling health-oriented physical activity (PA) recommendations. Since PA is linked with various benefits for health and educational outcomes, the group of students is of particular interest for PA promotion. Although active commuting has been identified as a relevant domain of PA in order to gain the various benefits of PA, little knowledge is available with respect to university students. This study tested conditions in the study environment, as well as personal motivators and barriers, as determinants for the active transportation of university students. Using a cross-sectional convenience sample of a university in the southwest of Germany (n = 997), we applied factor analyses to bundle relevant information on environmental and psychological determinants (adapted NEWS-G; adapted transport-related items from an Australian university survey) and blockwise hierarchical regressions. The objective was to analyze associations between the bundled determinants and self-reports on PA for transport-related walking and cycling (measured by the EHIS-PAQ). Results revealed associations between transport-related cycling and the perceived study environment (e.g., high automobile traffic) as well as certain personal motivators and barriers (e.g., time effort or weather conditions). The study contributes to the knowledge about determinants that are important for the development and improvement of public health interventions for students in a university setting.

Effect of Major Life Events on Travel Behaviours: A Scoping Review

The transportation sector accounts for about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. Previous research suggests that major life events may be “windows of opportunity” for travel behaviour change. Our scoping review examined the effects of seven events (transitions to secondary school, post-secondary studies, labour market, marriage, parenthood, retirement, and relocation) on travel behaviours. Five databases were searched (MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, SportDISCUS, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses) and 80 articles met inclusion criteria. Relocation was the most commonly examined event (with 51 studies). Findings illustrate that moving to compact neighbourhoods (with shorter commute distance/travel time, greater walkability/access to destinations) was associated with shifts towards sustainable travel modes (e.g., walking, cycling, and transit). Relocation might be particularly conducive to implementing scalable sustainable transportation interventions, as all six interventions with appropriate statistical power were effective. Entry into the labour market was generally associated with increased car use and declines in sustainable transportation. Qualitative studies suggested that attitudes towards cycling may become negative during adolescence, while attitudes towards driving improve, highlighting a need for concerted action. Evidence for other events was less consistent. Research in developing countries remain scarce and further intervention research is needed to enhance quality of evidence.

How Czech Adolescents Perceive Active Commuting to School: A Cross-Sectional Study

To achieve a healthy lifestyle, adolescents must be physically active and meet physical activity (PA) guidelines. One of the most natural ways of increasing the amount of PA is active commuting (AC) to school. Recent reviews suggest that peer norms have the potential to shape PA during adolescence in particular. Thus, our primary aim was to investigate whether Czech adolescents misperceive their peers’ AC behaviors and attitudes towards AC. Our dataset comprised cross-sectional data on 1586 adolescents aged 11–15 years. Basic descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and correlation analyses were used to analyze the data. Regarding traveling to school, 68% of the Czech adolescents in this study are daily active commuters (walking, cycling, or riding a scooter or skateboard). Less than half of the respondents believed that most of their classmates were commuting to school actively almost daily. The students who believed that most of their classmates commuted to school actively had significantly higher chances of being regular active commuters themselves. The results showed that most of the Czech adolescents misperceived the AC norms of their peers. Thus, there could be potential in using a social norms approach aimed at increasing the level of AC in Czech adolescents through targeted interventions.

Hemodynamic Adaptations Induced by Short-Term Run Interval Training in College Students

Perceived lack of time is one of the most often cited barriers to exercise participation. High intensity interval training has become a popular training modality that incorporates intervals of maximal and low-intensity exercise with a time commitment usually shorter than 30 min. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of short-term run interval training (RIT) on body composition (BC) and cardiorespiratory responses in undergraduate college students. Nineteen males (21.5 ± 1.6 years) were randomly assigned to a non-exercise control (CON, n = 10) or RIT (n = 9). Baseline measurements of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate (HRrest), double product (DP) and BC were obtained from both groups. VO_2max and running speed associated with VO_2peak (sVO_2peak) were then measured. RIT consisted of three running treadmill sessions per week over 4 weeks (intervals at 100% sVO_2peak, recovery periods at 40% sVO_2peak). There were no differences in post-training BC or VO₂max between groups (p > 0.05). HRrest (p = 0.006) and DP (p ≤ 0.001) were lower in the RIT group compared to CON at completion of the study. RIT lowered HRrest and DP in the absence of appreciable BC and VO_2max changes. Thereby, RIT could be an alternative model of training to diminish health-related risk factors in undergraduate college students.

The impact of life events and transitions on physical activity: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Physical activity (PA) is a fluctuating behavior and prone to change across the life course. Changes in PA may be particularly due to the experience of life events and transitions. For well-timed and successful PA interventions, it is important to understand when and why individuals take up or terminate PA.

OBJECTIVES

This scoping review aims to examine the extent, range, and nature of research on the impact of life events and transitions on PA and to summarize key findings.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. Articles were included if they had been published in peer-reviewed journals between 1998 and 2020 and assessed the impact of at least one life event or transition on PA.

RESULTS

107 studies that assessed 72 distinct life events and transitions were included and summarized in ten categories. Events and transitions that are primarily associated with decreases in PA were starting cohabitation, getting married, pregnancy, evolving parenthood, and the transitions from kindergarten to primary school, from primary to secondary school, and from high school to college or into the labor market. Retirement was associated with increases in PA; yet, long-term trajectories across retirement indicated a subsequent drop in activity levels. Divorce was associated with no changes in PA. No trends could be identified for changing work conditions, quitting or losing a job, starting a new relationship, widowhood, moving, and diagnosis of illness.

CONCLUSION

Life events and transitions can be conceptualized as natural interventions that occur across the life course and that are oftentimes associated with changes in PA behavior. Our study indicates that, despite some emerging trends, similar events do not necessarily have similar impacts on PA across individuals. It also shows that the research landscape is characterized by a lack of conceptual clarity and by disparate methodologies, making it difficult to synthesize results across studies.

Merging self-reported with technically sensed data for tracking mobility behavior in a naturalistic intervention study. Insights from the GISMO study

Sound exposure data are central for any intervention study. In the case of utilitarian mobility, where studies cannot be conducted in controlled environments, exposure data are commonly self‐reported. For short‐term intervention studies, wearable devices with location sensors are increasingly employed. We aimed to combine self‐reported and technically sensed mobility data, in order to provide more accurate and reliable exposure data for GISMO, a long‐term intervention study. Through spatio‐temporal data matching procedures, we are able to determine the amount of mobility for all modes at the best possible accuracy level. Self‐reported data deviate ±10% from the corrected reference. Derived modal split statistics prove high compliance to the respective recommendations for the control group (CG) and the two intervention groups (IG‐PT, IG‐C). About 73.7% of total mileage was travelled by car in CG. This share was 10.3% (IG‐PT) and 9.7% (IG‐C), respectively, in the intervention groups. Commuting distances were comparable in CG and IG, but annual mean travel times differ between x¯  = 8,458 min (σ = 6,427 min) for IG‐PT, x¯  = 8,444 min (σ = 5,961 min) for IG‐C, and x¯  = 5,223 min (σ = 5,463 min) for CG. Seasonal variabilities of modal split statistics were observable. However, in IG‐PT and IG‐C no shift toward the car occurred during winter months. Although no perfect single‐method solution for acquiring exposure data in mobility‐related, naturalistic intervention studies exists, we achieved substantially improved results by combining two data sources, based on spatio‐temporal matching procedures.

Active Transport, Not Device Use, Associates with Self-Reported School Week Physical Activity in Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among active transport, electronic device-use, and self-reported school week moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in a sample of adolescents. The sample consisted of 1445 adolescents enrolled in the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating study. A panel research organization invited panel members balanced to the US population on sex, census division, household income and size, and race/ethnicity. Web-based surveys were administered to each selected adolescent. Adolescents answered questions pertaining to out-of-school electronic device-use and active transport to and from school. Predicted weekly minutes of MVPA were calculated from the Youth Activity Profile. The outcome variable was predicted school week MVPA (in minutes). The predictive utility of device-use and active transport variables on self-reported school week MVPA were examined using weighted multiple linear regression models. After adjusting for age, sex, and BMI, active transport to school (b = 12.32, 95% CI [9.72–14.93], p < 0.001) and from school (b = 7.18, 95% CI [4.79–5.57], p < 0.001) were significantly associated with self-reported school week MVPA. No device-use variables were significantly associated with school week MVPA. Active transport to and from school may have an impact on school week MVPA in adolescents.