Quantifying active travel among people with disabilities in the US

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Transportation Studies
• Disability Research

Background:

• Individuals with disabilities experience higher rates of physical inactivity compared to the general population.
• Active travel, encompassing walking or wheeling for transportation, is a recommended strategy for increasing physical activity (PA) but remains under-researched within disability communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize active travel patterns among a nationally representative sample of individuals with disabilities.
• To analyze variations in active travel behaviors across different disability subgroups.
• To identify factors associated with engaging in and the duration of active travel.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey.
• Summarized counts and duration of walking/wheeling trips for individuals across four disability types.
• Employed zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to examine factors associated with active travel participation and duration.

Main Results:

• Approximately 14.55% of people with disabilities engaged in active travel, averaging 2.56 walking/wheeling trips daily.
• Active travelers with disabilities were more likely to be low-income, live alone, lack vehicle access, and identify as Black or Hispanic.
• Daily active travel duration varied by mobility aid use, with ambulatory device users reporting the longest duration (46.41 minutes).

Conclusions:

• Recognizing the diverse identities and needs of active travelers with disabilities is essential for developing effective intervention strategies.
• Enhancements to community infrastructure that reduce dependence on automobiles can significantly promote active travel among people with disabilities.