Psychosocial and environmental factors associated with cycling for transport among a working population

TLDR

The study examined psychosocial and environmental predictors of cycling for transport among working adults. The authors surveyed 343 Flemish adults living within 10 km of their workplace, collecting self‑reported data on cycling behavior, demographics, psychosocial factors, self‑efficacy, perceived benefits and barriers, and workplace environmental attributes. Modeling showed that social support, external self‑efficacy, ecological‑economic awareness, and reduced time/interest barriers were positively linked to cycling, with cyclists reporting shorter travel times and more workplace facilities, indicating that individual determinants outweigh environmental ones when infrastructure is adequate and suggesting campaigns should promote social support, self‑efficacy, ecological awareness, reduce time/interest barriers, and provide workplace facilities.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine psychosocial and environmental predictors of cycling for transportation. A sample of 343 Flemish adults (43% men) living at maximum 10 km from their workplace was surveyed. Self-report measures of cycling, demographic variables, psychosocial variables, self-efficacy, perceived benefits and barriers and environmental attributes (destination, traffic variables and facilities at the workplace) of cycling for transport were obtained by means of a mailing questionnaire. Modeling and social support by accompanying, external self-efficacy, ecological–economic awareness and lack of time and interest were positively associated with the likelihood of cycling for transport and varied in importance between cyclists and non-cyclists. Cyclists estimate the time to destination shorter than non-cyclists and indicate to have more facilities for cyclists at the workplace. The results suggest that when people live in a setting with adequate bicycle infrastructure, individual determinants (psychosocial, self-efficacy, perceived benefits and barriers) outperform the role of environmental determinants in this sample. Promotion campaigns aimed at increasing cycling for transportation should focus on creating social support by encouraging cycling with partners, increasing self-efficacy, raising ecological and economic awareness, decreasing lack of time and interest barriers and providing facilities for cyclists at the workplace.