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What interventions increase commuter cycling? A systematic review.
Glenn Stewart1, Nana Kwame Anokye1, Subhash Pokhrel1
1Health Economics Research Group (HERG), Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK.
BMJ Open
|August 16, 2015
Summary
Identifying effective commuter cycling interventions is crucial for public health. Environmental changes show promise for increasing cycling rates in larger populations, despite limited robust evidence in low-cycling nations.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Transportation Science
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Commuter cycling offers significant health and environmental benefits.
- Evidence-based strategies are needed to promote cycling, particularly in regions with low uptake.
- Understanding the effectiveness of different intervention types is key to successful implementation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review interventions aimed at increasing commuter cycling among adults.
- To evaluate the impact of individual, group, and environmental interventions on cycling behavior.
- To identify effective strategies for promoting cycling in diverse global settings.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive search of studies evaluating interventions to increase commuter cycling.
- Inclusion of studies from all settings and countries, involving adults aged 18 and above.
- Analysis of various outcome measures related to changes in cycling frequency and mode of transport.
Main Results:
- Twelve studies from six countries were included, with most employing pre-intervention and post-intervention designs.
- Individual and group interventions showed mixed results, with only some demonstrating significant increases in commuter cycling.
- Environmental interventions, while having smaller effects, reached larger populations and showed positive trends in promoting cycling.
Conclusions:
- Robust evidence for effective commuter cycling interventions in low-prevalence nations remains limited.
- Environmental interventions, despite modest effects, appear more significant for public health by encouraging broader population engagement in physical activity.
- Future research should focus on developing and evaluating scalable environmental strategies to foster widespread cycling adoption.
