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Active commuting among K-12 educators: a study examining walking and biking to work.
Melissa Bopp1, Tanis J Hastmann, Alyssa N Norton
1Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Journal of Environmental and Public Health
|October 4, 2013
Summary
Active commuting (AC) among K-12 educators is infrequent. Individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental factors significantly influence AC behavior, highlighting potential areas for wellness interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Occupational Health
- Transportation Studies
Background:
- Active commuting (AC) offers health benefits but has low adoption rates in the US.
- K-12 educators are a substantial workforce segment, making their health and associated costs economically significant.
- Understanding AC patterns in educators is crucial for targeted health and wellness initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the current rates of active commuting among K-12 educators.
- To identify individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental factors associated with AC in this population.
Main Methods:
- A volunteer sample of 437 K-12 educators completed an online survey.
- Data collected included AC patterns and social-ecological influences on AC.
- Statistical analyses included t-tests, ANOVAs, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression.
Main Results:
- Educators commuted actively an average of 0.51 times per week.
- Multiple factors across individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and environmental levels were significantly related to AC.
- The comprehensive model explained 60.8% of the variance in AC behavior.
Conclusions:
- This research illuminates the determinants of commute modes for K-12 educators.
- Findings offer valuable insights for developing employee wellness programs within this professional group.
