IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i19p10360-d648361.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Individual Characteristics Associated with Active Travel in Low and High Income Groups in the UK

Author

Listed:
  • Emma R. Lawlor

    (Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SP, UK
    Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK)

  • Ruth F. Hunter

    (Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK)

  • Deepti Adlakha

    (School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
    Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, Natural Learning Initiative, College of Design, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27605, USA)

  • Frank Kee

    (Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK)

  • Mark A. Tully

    (Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
    Institute of Mental Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Ulster University, Newtownabbey BT37 0QB, UK)

Abstract

Active travel (AT) has gained increasing attention as a way of addressing low levels of physical activity. However, little is known regarding the relationship between income and AT. The aim of this study was to investigate characteristics associated with undertaking AT in an adult population and by low- and high-income groups. Data collected from the Physical Activity and the Rejuvenation of Connswater (PARC) study in 2017 were used. Participants were categorised into socio-economic groups according to their weekly household income, and were categorised as participating in ‘no’ AT or ‘some’ AT and ‘sufficient’ AT. Multivariable logistic regression explored characteristics associated with AT in the full cohort, and the low- and high-income groups separately. Variables associated with AT in the low-income group were body mass index (BMI), physical activity self-efficacy, marital status, long term illness, difficulty walking and housing tenure. For the high-income group, BMI, marital status, housing tenure and education were associated with AT. For both income groups, there were consistent positive associations with the action/maintenance phase of the stage of change model across all AT categories. The findings suggest that population sub-groups may benefit from targeted initiatives to support engagement in AT and prevent further widening of inequalities.

Suggested Citation

  • Emma R. Lawlor & Ruth F. Hunter & Deepti Adlakha & Frank Kee & Mark A. Tully, 2021. "Individual Characteristics Associated with Active Travel in Low and High Income Groups in the UK," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-17, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:19:p:10360-:d:648361
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/19/10360/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/19/10360/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Emma J Adams & Dale W Esliger & Ian M Taylor & Lauren B Sherar, 2017. "Individual, employment and psychosocial factors influencing walking to work: Implications for intervention design," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-14, February.
    2. Prior, L. & Scott, D. & Hunter, R. & Donnelly, M. & Tully, M.A. & Cupples, M.E. & Kee, F., 2014. "Exploring lay views on physical activity and their implications for public health policy. A case study from East Belfast," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 73-80.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stefan Saadiq & Roy Valenzuela & Jing Wang & Zenong Yin & Deborah Parra-Medina & Jennifer Gay & Jennifer J. Salinas, 2021. "Walking Engagement in Mexican Americans Who Participated in a Community-Wide Step Challenge in El Paso, TX," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Baurzhan ZHAMANBAYEV & Adilkhan RAIMBAYEV & Elmira ALMAKHANOVA & Saule RAIMBAYEVA & Waldemar WÓJCIK, 2021. "Two-Stage Substantiation Of Placement Of Public Transport Stops," Transport Problems, Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Transport, vol. 16(1), pages 87-97, March.
    3. Khalid Farooq & Mohd Yusoff Yusliza & Ratri Wahyuningtyas & Adnan ul Haque & Zikri Muhammad & Jumadil Saputra, 2021. "Exploring Challenges and Solutions in Performing Employee Ecological Behaviour for a Sustainable Workplace," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-19, August.
    4. Adina-Raluca Sibian & Ana Ispas, 2021. "An Approach to Applying the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity Theory to Identify the Driving Factors of Green Employee Behavior in the Hotel Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-19, April.
    5. Hunter, Ruth F. & Christian, Hayley & Veitch, Jenny & Astell-Burt, Thomas & Hipp, J.Aaron & Schipperijn, Jasper, 2015. "The impact of interventions to promote physical activity in urban green space: A systematic review and recommendations for future research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 246-256.
    6. Longo, Alberto & Hutchinson, W. George & Hunter, Ruth F. & Tully, Mark A. & Kee, Frank, 2015. "Demand response to improved walking infrastructure: A study into the economics of walking and health behaviour change," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 107-116.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:19:p:10360-:d:648361. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.