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Abstract
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Introduction
The objective of this study was to examine the association between workplace facilities and policies with bicycle commuting, and to test interactions by gender, among a convenience sample of adult bicyclists from Austin, TX, and Birmingham, AL.
Methods
Adults aged 18-65 who rode a bicycle in the past year completed an internet-based survey designed to assess potential correlates of bicycling behavior. Participants who reported having ridden a bicycle for transportation in the past year for the purpose of commuting to/from work were categorized as a bicycle commuters. Workplace facilitators assessed included policies that supported biking to work, bicycle lockers, locked rooms/cage, clothes storage, bike racks, and showers. A summary score ordinal variable was derived by adding the total number of reported workplace facilitators per participant. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were conducted to identify the association between each of the workplace facility/policy variables and being a bicycle commuter.
Results
The final analytic sample was of 760 participants employed full- or part-time. All assessed facilitators were significantly directly associated with being categorized as a bicycle commuter in multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for covariates (p<0.05). As compared to no facilitators, 1 facilitator was associated with 2.06 times higher odds of being a bicycle commuter (95% CI:1.63-2.59), 2 facilitators was associated with 2.79 times higher odds of being a bicycle commuter (95% CI:2.00-3.88), 3 facilitators was associated with 4.16 times higher odds of being a bicycle commuter (95% CI:3.80-4.56), and 4 or more facilitators was associated with 7.55 times higher odds of being a bicycle commuter (95% CI:7.36-7.75). No significant interactions between each of the workplace facilitators and gender were observed.
CONCLUSIONS: Companies that desire to encourage active transportation among their employees should consider how the workplace infrastructure and culture can be changed to support this behavior.
Language: en |