environmental and psychosocial barriers to active commuting and physical activity among urban public school teachers

Background: active commuting, walking, or cycling to daily destinations, offers a practical way to increase physical activity. despite its benefits, active commuting remains uncommon in urban areas, especially among professionals, such as school educators. this study examined the prevalence and determinants of active commuting among public school teachers in athens and thessaloniki, greece’s two largest cities, with a focus on gender, distance, leisure time physical activity, and perceived environmental and psychosocial barriers.methods: a cross-sectional survey was conducted between early 2024 and april 2025, involving 1504 public school teachers. validated questionnaires assessed commuting behavior, physical activity, barriers to active transport, and demographics. stratified random sampling ensured representation across educational levels and districts. data analysis included descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way and two-way anova, and pearson correlation coefficients to explore associations among commuting mode, gender, distance, and lifestyle indicators.results: male teachers reported significantly higher active commuting levels than females (p<0.001). distance predicted active commuting among men (r=0.665, p<0.001), while women were more influenced by safety concerns. leisure time physical activity positively correlated with active commuting across all groups (r=0.789, p<0.001). major barriers included poor infrastructure, traffic safety issues, time constraints, and lack of motivation, more frequently reported by women and those in areas lacking pedestrian or cycling facilities.conclusion: active commuting among urban educators is influenced by gender, infrastructure quality, psychosocial factors, and distance. effective promotion requires gender-sensitive planning, safer environments, and institutional support. these findings support integrated strategies linking urban mobility with health promotion for educators.