Mobility Patterns of Students: Evidence from Tricity Area, Poland

Generational change is one of the vital socioeconomic forces affecting the global economic environment. In many studies, the youngest generations are presented as the ones changing the market trends. This can also be observed in areas of travel demand and mobility patterns. However, research on those topics in many countries, for many societies, is scarce. This study aimed to examine the travel behavior of Polish young adults, namely students living in the Tricity area. Factor analysis and ANOVA were used to analyze the data gathered via an online survey assessing the characteristics of mobility patterns of students born between 1981 and 1999. Factor analysis allowed grouping the attitudes towards traveling among those young adults (Y Generation, Y’s, Y Gen). Three factors were identified, and they were associated with luxury and self-expression, freedom and comfort, safety and environmental friendliness. The driver’s characteristics were the least consistent with the classic image of typical Y’s, and those using the active commute—the most. In turn, the largest group were people using public transport, which partially presented convergent opinions with drivers and users of the active commute. It turned out that the car drivers, active commuters and respondents utilizing public transport differed not only in their behavior and presentation of Y Gen characteristics but also in their attitude towards categories such as comfort, desire for luxury, economy or ecology. This study is a complex analysis of the mobility patterns of students in the Tricity area. It presents the set of variables influencing the travel demand of the chosen age group. The study also compares the presented travel choices with those declared by representatives of other nations. Finally, it indicates the next research problems to be addressed in future research.

Active Commute in Relation to Cognition and Academic Achievement in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Future Recommendations

Active commuting to school (ACS) is an important source of physical activity among children. Recent research has focused on ACS and its benefits on cognition and academic achievement (AA), factors important for success in school. This review aims to synthesize literature on the relationship between ACS and cognition or AA among children and adolescents. Peer-reviewed articles in PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library assessing ACS with cognition and/or AA among children, until February 2019, were selected. Twelve studies across nine countries (age range 4–18.5 years) were included. One study used accelerometers, whereas all others used self-report measures of ACS. A wide range of objective assessments of cognitive functioning and AA domains were used. Five among eight studies, and four among six found a positive relationship between ACS and cognitive or AA measure, respectively. Four studies found dose–response relationships, and some studies found sex differences. The quantitative analysis found that ACS was not significantly associated with mathematics score (odds ratio = 1.18; CI = 0.40, 3.48). Findings are discussed in terms of methodological issues, potential confounders, and the strength of the evidence. Future studies should conduct longitudinal studies and use objective measures of ACS to understand this relationship further.

Active commute to school: does distance from school or walkability of the home neighbourhood matter? A national cross-sectional study of children aged 10–11 years, Scotland, UK

ObjectivesTo study the extent to which home-to-school distance and neighbourhood walkability were associated with self-reported active travel to school (ATS) (eg, walking, cycling), and to explore how distance moderates the effect of walkability on ATS, among 10–11 years old.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingData were collected between May 2015 and May 2016 in partnership with the Growing Up in Scotland Study, a nationally representative longitudinal cohort study.Participants713 children (male (n=330) and female (n=383) 10–11 years old) from Studying Physical Activity in Children’s Environments across Scotland.Primary and secondary outcome measuresChildren who actively travelled to/from school categorised as active all (100% of ATS) and active 60%+ (at least 60% of ATS); home-to-school road/path network distance (<0.5 km, 0.5 to <1 km, 1 to <1.5 km, 1.5 to <2 km, 2 km+); home neighbourhood walkability (i.e., composite measure of road/path intersection density and dwelling density) (in quintiles).ResultsDistance and walkability were both associated with ATS. The likelihood of ATS for all or most journeys decreased with increasing distance. Compared with ‘most’ walkable areas (Q1), the odds of active all were significantly lower within least walkable areas (Q5 OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.99), and odds of active 60%+ were significantly less in Q2–Q5 (lowest odds Q5 OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.47). Regarding walkability and distance interactions, for all distance categories, higher walkability increased the probability of ATS (for most school journeys).ConclusionWalkability was positively associated with ATS within all distance categories, with the relationship between walkability and ATS more complex than the clear-cut association between distance and ATS. A more walkable environment had a larger effect on the probability of reaching the 60% threshold of school journeys using ATS than the probability of always travelling in an active manner. Investment is needed in existing less walkable neighbourhoods to provide infrastructure to support opportunities for children’s ATS.

Longer, More Active Commute, but Still not Very Active: Five-Year Physical Activity and Travel Behavior Change in a University Population

Active travel can support the achievement of recommended levels of physical activity. Monitoring travel behavior of university students and staff provides a useful insight into patterns of regional travel and population level changes in physical activity. This study sought to evaluate current travel and physical activity behaviors in a university population and to determine whether these changed over time. An online survey of travel behavior and physical activity was conducted at the University of Sydney, Australia. The survey was actively promoted for three weeks prior to the release of the survey among staff and students, which asked about travel behavior on a specific day in September 2017. The survey questions were the same as those used in a similar online survey conducted across the University in 2012. In total, 4359 People completed the survey, representing 10.8% of staff and 4.1% of students. Approximately two thirds of survey respondents were students, in both the 2012 and 2017 surveys. Compared with 2012, there was an increase in active travel to the University in 2017 from increased walking and train travel. Compared to 2012, in 2017 there was an increase in average minutes walked by about nine minutes, and less time spent sitting. Trip lengths increased, with 68% of trips taking longer than 30 min in 2017. The amount of time spent in low–moderate levels physical activity increased between 2012 and 2017, potentially related to active travel behavior. Citywide changes towards a system-wide transport fare structure was the biggest change in the transport environment between the two surveys and may have contributed to increased train travel.

Social and demographic factors of physical activity in 9-11 years old Slovenian children

Factors related to physical behaviour of children are important in understanding the characteristics of their physical activity. Apart from the factors of physical environment, social and demographical factors are also related to physical activity levels. Randomly selected 669 children (9.9±0.8 years; 48.8% boys) from randomly selected Slovenian elementary schools participated in this study. All data were obtained during a single measurement in May 2010. The standardized questionnaire The Quality of Life Survey was used to measure physical activity (PA) levels as well as social and demographic factors which could be associated with it. The results indicated higher PA levels in boys than in girls (704±286 min/week vs. 617±268 min/week;&nbsp;p&lt;.001). The analysis of variance confirmed higher PA levels in girls with parents of a higher socioeconomic status (SES) (p=.0018); in boys, there were no differences in PA levels according SES (p=.580). In both the boys (p=.047) and girls (p=.021) PA levels were higher if their whole family were members of any sport club. However, family structure was not related to PA levels in either boys (p=.648) or girls (p=.132). In boys, the bi-variate regression analysis showed a positive correlation with mother’s educational level (r=.090), with the number of children in the family (r=.150), with the child’s attitude that active commute to school is attractive (r=.108) and that child’s peers actively commute to school (r=.129), whereas a negative correlation was obtained with fear the child would become a victim of violence or harassment on the way to school (r=-.097). In girls, bi-variate regression analysis showed a positive correlation with mother’s educational level (r=.094), with the child’s attitude that active commute to school is attractive (r=.092) and that child’s peers actively commute to school (r=.221), whereas a negative correlation was established with fear the child would become a victim of violence or harassment on the way to school (r=-.061) or at recreational and sporting facilities (r=-.046). According to low correlations in bi-variate analysis, we conclude that other factors, such as, for example, physical environment, might be strongly related to physical activity levels in children and need to be taken into account when preparing interventions for physical activity enhancement.

Cycling, car, or public transit: a study of stress and mood upon arrival at work

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of various commuting modes on stress and mood upon arrival at work. Design/methodology/approach Data on stress and mood were collected after 123 employees arrived at work by bike, car, or public transit. In order to account for the natural fluctuation of stress and mood throughout the day, the assessment of the dependent variables was made within the first 45 minutes of arrival at work. Findings As hypothesized, those who cycled to work were less stressed than their counterparts who arrived by car. However, there was no difference in mood among the different mode users. Practical implications A lower level of early stress among cyclists offers further evidence for the promotion of active commute modes. Originality/value This study underscores the importance of being sensitive to time-based variations in stress and mood levels when investigating the impact of commute modes.