Association of workplace supports with active commuting
Andrew T Kaczynski1, Melissa J Bopp, Pamela Wittman
1Department of Kinesiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. atkaczyn@ksu.edu
Preventing Chronic Disease
|October 19, 2010
Summary
Workplace support, including physical amenities and a positive culture, encourages active commuting like walking or cycling. These supports may particularly benefit women
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Active commuting reduces chronic disease risk.
- Few studies examine institutional factors influencing active commuting.
- Workplace supports are crucial for promoting active commuting.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine the association between workplace supports and active commuting.
- Investigate the impact of cultural and physical supports.
- Analyze differences by sex and age.
Main Methods:
- Online survey of 375 employees in Manhattan, Kansas.
- Measured physical and cultural workplace supports for active commuting.
- Used logistic regression to predict active commuting frequency.
Main Results:
- More workplace supports correlated with increased active commuting.
- Positive associations observed for women, but not men.
- Physical supports benefited both younger and older adults; cultural supports did not show a relationship for age groups.
Conclusions:
- Workplace physical and cultural supports are linked to higher active commuting rates.
- These supports may be particularly effective in encouraging women's active commuting.
- Specific supports like perceived coworker activity and bicycle facilities are influential.
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