Why Do Students Walk or Cycle for Transportation? Perceived Study Environment and Psychological Determinants as Predictors of Active Transportation by University Students

Abstract

University students are particularly at risk to suffer from physical and psychological complaints and for not fulfilling health-oriented physical activity (PA) recommendations. Since PA is linked with various benefits for health and educational outcomes, the group of students is of particular interest for PA promotion. Although active commuting has been identified as a relevant domain of PA in order to gain the various benefits of PA, little knowledge is available with respect to university students. This study tested conditions in the study environment, as well as personal motivators and barriers, as determinants for the active transportation of university students. Using a cross-sectional convenience sample of a university in the southwest of Germany (n = 997), we applied factor analyses to bundle relevant information on environmental and psychological determinants (adapted NEWS-G; adapted transport-related items from an Australian university survey) and blockwise hierarchical regressions. The objective was to analyze associations between the bundled determinants and self-reports on PA for transport-related walking and cycling (measured by the EHIS-PAQ). Results revealed associations between transport-related cycling and the perceived study environment (e.g., high automobile traffic) as well as certain personal motivators and barriers (e.g., time effort or weather conditions). The study contributes to the knowledge about determinants that are important for the development and improvement of public health interventions for students in a university setting.

Health-Promoting and Sustainable Behavior in University Students in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Biking or walking to the university was sufficient to achieve physical activity recommendations [ 25 ]. A study of German university students identified high automobile traffic, time, effort, and weather conditions as barriers to transport-related cycling [ 26 ]. In our study, the prevalence of cycling to university also decreased in the winter.…”

Exploring the Choice of Bicycling and Walking in Rajshahi, Bangladesh: An Application of Integrated Choice and Latent Variable (ICLV) Models

“…Another study from Taiwan showed that good network connectivity was favorable for AT. Studies by Tuber and Sudeck (2021) and Higgins and Ahren (2021) showed that safety during walking or biking was an important factor influencing AT use in Germany and Ireland [49,50]. Tuber and Sudeck (2021) showed better security from neighborhood crimes enhanced the willingness of a student to walk to school.…”

Neighborhood Built and Social Environment Influences on Lifestyle Behaviors among College Students in a High-Density City: A Photovoice Study

“…As such, school students, including college students, tended to engage in a healthy travel mode, walking, were those living near their schools, as well as having a higher accessibility to public transport stations [ 23 ]. A study conducted in Australia evidenced that college students’ transport-related cycling is associated with the traffic environment, as well as personal motives and barriers [ 24 ]. Additionally, novel cartographic mapping research has demonstrated that the magnitude and spatiality of environmental factors, including density, diversity, design, and household across the college’s region, would critically influence college students’ active transportation; yet distance was not considered a common barrier [ 25 ].…”