Health Associations with Transport-Related Physical Activity and Motorized Travel to Destinations

ABSTRACT

This study explores the relationships between health-risk indicators compared by transport-related physical activity (TPA) and motorized travel modes to two destinations. A population-representative telephone survey was conducted with adults (n = 1,989) residing in New Zealand. Those who engaged in motorized travel to place of work/study were less likely to be classified as sufficiently physically active (odds ratio [OR] = 0.5; 95% CI = 0.2 to 0.9) and normal body mass index (BMI) classification (OR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.3 to 0.9) than were respondents who engaged in TPA. No significant physical activity or BMI associations were found for convenience shop travel. TPA travel to at least the place of work/study confers physical activity and BMI health benefits in an adult population-representative sample.

Key Words:

• active transport
• BMI
• convenience shop
• physical activity
• place of work/study
• travel behaviours

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Sport and Recreation New Zealand provided funding for the Active Friendly Environments project. H.B. acknowledges the support of the New Zealand National Heart Foundation through the Maori Cardiovascular Research Fellowship (grant no. 1104). The authors would also like to thank the reviewers who have commented on this manuscript.

Notes

∗Weighted by Census 2001 (Statistics New Zealand, 2001).

†Adjusted by other socio-demographic variables in the model.

‡Significance p < 0.05.

∗Weighted by Census 2001 (Statistics New Zealand, 2001).

†Ethnically adjusted BMI classifications according to WHO criteria (World Health Organization, 2000).

∗Weighted by Census 2001 (Statistics New Zealand, 2001).

†Adjusted by gender, age, household income, and education attainment.

‡Significance p < 0.05.

∗Weighted by Census 2001 (Statistics New Zealand, 2001).

†BMI classifications are ethnically adjusted according to WHO criteria (World Health Organization, 2000).

‡Adjusted by gender, age, household income, and education attainment.

§Significance p < 0.05.