Environmental and demographic correlates of bicycling.

OBJECTIVE The present study examined correlates of bicycle ownership and bicycling frequency, and projected increases in cycling if perceived safety from cars was improved. METHODS Participants were 1780 adults aged 20-65 recruited from the Seattle, Washington and Baltimore, Maryland regions (48% female; 25% ethnic/racial minority) and studied in 2002-2005. Bicycling outcomes were assessed by survey. Multivariable models were conducted to examine demographic and built environment correlates of bicycling outcomes. RESULTS About 71% of the sample owned bicycles, but 60% of those did not report cycling. Among bicycle owners, frequency of riding was greater among young, male, White, educated, and lean subgroups. Neighborhood walkability measures within 1 km were not consistently related to bicycling. For the whole sample, bicycling at least once per week was projected to increase from 9% to 39% if bicycling was safe from cars. Ethnic-racial minority groups and those in the least safe neighborhoods for bicycling had greater projected increases in cycling if safety from traffic was improved. CONCLUSION Implementing measures to improve bicyclists' safety from cars would primarily benefit racial-ethnic groups who cycle less but have higher rates of chronic diseases, as well as those who currently feel least safe bicycling.

[1]  M. Harris,et al.  The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature , 2009, Environmental health : a global access science source.

[2]  J. Sallis,et al.  Assessing perceived physical environmental variables that may influence physical activity. , 1997, Research quarterly for exercise and sport.

[3]  Jennifer Dill.  Bicycling for Transportation and Health: The Role of Infrastructure , 2009, Journal of public health policy.

[4]  Susan L Handy,et al.  How the built environment affects physical activity: views from urban planning. , 2002, American journal of preventive medicine.

[5]  J. Sallis,et al.  The development of a walkability index: application to the Neighborhood Quality of Life Study , 2009, British Journal of Sports Medicine.

[6]  E. Shenassa,et al.  Perceived safety of area of residence and exercise: a pan-European study. , 2006, American journal of epidemiology.

[7]  Lisa Wood,et al.  The anatomy of the safe and social suburb: an exploratory study of the built environment, social capital and residents' perceptions of safety. , 2008, Health & place.

[8]  G. Cardon,et al.  Neighborhood SES and walkability are related to physical activity behavior in Belgian adults. , 2010, Preventive medicine.

[9]  G. Belle.  Statistical rules of thumb , 2002 .

[10]  W. Moritz.  Adult Bicyclists in the United States: Characteristics and Riding Experience in 1996 , 1998 .

[11]  James F Sallis,et al.  Measuring the environment for friendliness toward physical activity: a comparison of the reliability of 3 questionnaires. , 2004, American journal of public health.

[12]  A. Dannenberg,et al.  Walking and cycling to health: a comparative analysis of city, state, and international data. , 2010, American journal of public health.

[13]  Lawrence D Frank,et al.  Neighborhood environment and psychosocial correlates of adults' physical activity. , 2012, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[14]  K. Krizek,et al.  Analyzing the Effect of Bicycle Facilities on Commute Mode Share over Time , 2009 .

[15]  J. Sallis,et al.  Neighborhood-based differences in physical activity: an environment scale evaluation. , 2003, American journal of public health.

[16]  Arthur Christian Nelson,et al.  If You Build Them, Commuters Will Use Them: Association Between Bicycle Facilities and Bicycle Commuting , 1997 .

[17]  T. Laveist,et al.  Minority Populations and Health: An Introduction to Health Disparities in the United States , 2005 .

[18]  Ilse de Bourdeaudhuij,et al.  Environmental Correlates of Physical Activity in a Sample of Belgian Adults , 2003, American journal of health promotion : AJHP.

[19]  P. Mokhtarian,et al.  The relationship between the built environment and nonwork travel: A case study of Northern California , 2009 .

[20]  Jennifer Dill,et al.  Bicycle Commuting and Facilities in Major U.S. Cities: If You Build Them, Commuters Will Use Them , 2003 .

[21]  A. Bauman,et al.  Neighborhood walkability and the walking behavior of Australian adults. , 2007, American journal of preventive medicine.

[22]  A. Cheadle,et al.  Cycling and the Built Environment, a US Perspective , 2005 .

[23]  J. Pucher,et al.  Infrastructure, programs, and policies to increase bicycling: an international review. , 2010, Preventive medicine.

[24]  J. Sallis,et al.  Neighborhood built environment and income: examining multiple health outcomes. , 2009, Social science & medicine.

[25]  M. Wardman,et al.  Factors influencing the propensity to cycle to work , 2007 .

[26]  John Whittaker,et al.  Rules of Thumb , 1996 .

[27]  Kyle M. Rollins,et al.  Measured Pile Setup During Load Testing and Production Piling: I-15 Corridor Reconstruction Project in Salt Lake City, Utah , 1999 .