Health-related factors associated with mode of travel to work

Active commuting (ac) to the workplace is a potential strategy for incorporating physical activity into daily life and is associated with health benefits. this study examined the association between health-related factors and mode of travel to the workplace. methods. a volunteer convenience sample of employed adults completed an online survey regarding demographics,health-related factors,and the number of times/week walking,biking,driving,and using public transit to work (dichotomized as no walk/bike/drive/pt and walk/bike/drive/pt 1 + x/week). logistic regression was used to predict the likelihood of each mode of transport and meeting pa recommendations from ac according to demographics and health-related factors. results. the sample (n = 1175) was aged 43.5 ± 11.4 years and was primarily white (92.7%) and female (67.9%). respondents reported walking (7.3%),biking (14.4%),taking public transit (20.3%),and driving (78.3%) to work at least one time/week. among those reporting ac,9.6% met pa recommendations from ac alone. mode of travel to work was associated with several demographic and health-related factors,including age,number of chronic diseases,weight status,and ac beliefs. discussion. mode of transportation to the workplace and health-related factors such as disease or weight status should be considered in future interventions targeting ac. © 2013 melissa bopp et al.