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Abstract
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Background
E-bikes, bikes with a battery-driven motor providing supporting power only when the cyclist exerts power onto the pedals, are very popular in several countries around the world. E-bikes are particularly popular among older adults (≥ 65 years) with e-bike trips constituting 25% of all Flemish (Belgian) older adults' bike trips. Despite their popularity, few studies have examined e-bikes' contribution to active ageing. We aimed to (1) compare older e-bikers' and conventional bikers' socio-demographics and health characteristics, (2) examine e-bikers' purchase motives, purposes of e-bike use and substitution effects of e-bikes and (3) compare e-bikers' and conventional bikers' cycling levels.
Methods
Participants were recruited through a variety of channels and completed an online or interview-administered survey. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, logistic regression and hurdle models.
Results
The questionnaire was completed by 1,146 Flemish older adults (84.2% online and 15.8% interview) and 31.2% were e-bikers. Women (OR= 1.75, 95% CI= 1.30-2.37) and those with a higher BMI (OR= 1.05, 95% CI= 1.02-1.09) had higher odds of being an e-biker. Main motives to purchase an e-bike concerned overcoming typical cycling barriers (i.e., health problems, long distances and hills). E-bikes were used for transportation as well as recreational purposes and substituted active and passive trips. Compared to conventional bikers, e-bikers had 2.58 times (95% CI= 1.94-3.47) higher odds of having biked for transport in the past week. This relationship was stronger among participants with a higher BMI. Among those who had biked for transport in the past week, e-bikers had biked 35% (95% CI= 1.17-1.56) more minutes. E-bikers had 2.83 times (95% CI= 2.15-3.74) higher odds of having biked for recreation in the past week. Among those who had biked for recreation in the past week, e-bikers had biked 30% (95% CI= 1.07-1.58) more minutes. However, this relationship was only significant among women and among those being slightly limited to bike, not among men and those not limited by their health to bike.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that e-bikes contribute to active ageing, especially among those known to be at risk for physical inactivity. Future research should examine e-bikes' effects on total physical activity and health outcomes using objective measures in longitudinal and experimental designs. Furthermore, research about the crash risks related to e-bike use among older adults is warranted. |