Citation

Goodman A, Sahlqvist S, Ogilvie D. Am. J. Public Health 2014; 104(9): e38-46.

Affiliation

Anna Goodman, Shannon Sahlqvist, and David Ogilvie are with the Medical Research Council Epidemiology United and the UK Clinical Research Collaboration Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), University of Cambridge, Institute of Public Health, Cambridge, UK. Anna Goodman is also with the Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. Shannon Sahlqvist is also with the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2014.302059

PMID

25033133

Abstract

OBJECTIVEs. We evaluated the effects of providing new high-quality, traffic-free routes for walking and cycling on overall levels of walking, cycling, and physical activity.

METHODS. 1796 adult residents in 3 UK municipalities completed postal questionnaires at baseline (2010) and 1-year follow-up (2011), after the construction of the new infrastructure. 1465 adults completed questionnaires at baseline and 2-year follow-up (2012). Transport network distance from home to infrastructure defined intervention exposure and provided a basis for controlled comparisons.

RESULTS. Living nearer the infrastructure did not predict changes in activity levels at 1-year follow-up but did predict increases in activity at 2 years relative to those living farther away (15.3 additional minutes/week walking and cycling per km nearer; 12.5 additional minutes/week of total physical activity). The effects were larger among participants with no car.

CONCLUSIONS. These new local routes may mainly have displaced walking or cycling trips in the short term but generated new trips in the longer term, particularly among those unable to access more distant destinations by car. These findings support the potential for walking and cycling infrastructure to promote physical activity. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print July 17, 2014: e1-e9. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302059).

Language: en