Associations of cycling with urban sprawl and the gasoline price.

Full Abstract

PURPOSE: Determine the relationships between cycling and urban sprawl and between cycling and the gasoline price. ANALYSIS: Cross-sectional multivariate regression analyses using pooled data from two individual-level national surveys to analyze the effects of variations in levels of urban sprawl and the gasoline price on cycling as a form of physical activity. SETTING: Metropolitan areas representative of the U.S. population, 1990 to 2001. SUBJECTS: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System: 146,730 individuals at least 18-years-old in the United States; Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey: 73,903 individuals at least 18-years-old in the United States. MEASURES: Self-reported information on bicycling served as the dependent variable. Urban sprawl and the gasoline price served as key independent variables. RESULTS: Living in a metropolitan area with a lower degree of urban sprawl increased the probability of cycling in the past month by 3.4 to 4.4 percentage points and 1.6 to 2.1 percentage points from the means for men and women, respectively. Increasing the gasoline price by one dollar increased the probability of cycling by 4.3 to 4.7 percentage points and 2.9 to 3.5 percentage points for men and women, respectively. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that the prevalence of cycling is higher in less sprawling areas and areas with higher gasoline prices. More research is needed to refine results on how individuals respond to incentives and the roles that monetary and time costs play in improving public health.

Author information

Author/s: Rashad, Inas (I);

Affiliation: Department of Economics, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, PO Box 3992, Atlanta, GA 30302-3992, USA. irashad(-atsign-)gsu.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: American journal of health promotion : AJHP (Am J Health Promot), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: -2009 Sep-Oct; vol 24 (issue 1) : pp 27-36

Dates: Created 2009/09/15; Completed 2009/10/08;

PMID: 19750960, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/8/2009, IMS Date: )

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