Comparison of cyclists' and motorists' utilitarian physical activity at an urban university

Abstract

Objective. Preliminary comparison of cyclists and motorists on: (1) distance lived from campus and, (2) the impact of transportation mode on physical activity. Methods. A purposive sample of students (n=50; cyclists=26, motorists=24) living b5 miles from Arizona State University campus wore an accelerometer and completed a travel log for two on-campus days during fall 2005–spring 2006. Residence distance to campus was calculated by geocoded addresses (n=45; cyclists=23 vs. motorists=22). Final outcome variables were: distance lived from campus, accelerometer time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, steps/day, total time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (logged minutes cycling+accelerometerderived moderate-to-vigorous physical activity), and minutes total active commuting (logged walking+cycling). Results. Groups were significantly different for: distance lived from campus (cyclists=0.6±0.6 vs. motorists=2.0±1.1 miles; pb0.000); steps/ day (cyclists=11,051±4295 vs. motorists=9174±3319; p=0.046); total time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (cyclists=85.7±37.0 vs. motorists=50.3±23.8 minutes; pb0.001); minutes in motorized transport (cyclists=24.9±27.5 vs. motorists=61.6±32.9; pb0.001); and total active transport (cyclists=59.4± 32.4 vs. motorists=29.5±20.0; pb0.001). Conclusion. Among students living within 5 miles of campus, cyclists lived relatively closer to campus, accumulated more minutes of physical activity, and spent more time in active transportation than students who used motorized means.