The contribution of commuting to total daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity

Gbadamosi, AR; Clarke-Cornwell, AM; Sindall, PA; Granat, MH

Abstract

Background: Actively commuting to and from work can increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and increase adherence to physical activity (PA) guidelines; however, there is a lack of evidence on the contribution of mixed-mode commutes and continuous stepping bouts to PA. Many commuting studies employ the use of self-reported PA measures. This study objectively determined the contribution of MVPA during commuting to total MVPA, using cadence to define MVPA, and explored how the length of stepping bouts affects adherence to PA guidelines. Methods: Twenty-seven university staff wore an activPAL™ activity monitor for seven days and kept an activity diary. The activPAL™quantified MVPA and bouts duration and the activity diary collected information about commute times and the modes of commute. Twenty-three participants with at least four days of data were included in the final analysis. Results: The median total time per day spent in MVPA was 49.6 (IQR: 27.4–75.8) minutes and 31% of the total time was accumulated during commuting (median = 15.2 minutes; IQR: 4.11–26.9). Walking and mixed-mode commuters spent more time in MVPA (37.6 and 26.9 minutes, respectively), compared to car commuters (5.8 minutes). Seventeen out of the 23 participants achieved more than 30 minutes of MVPA per day, with five achieving this in their commute alone. A significant positive association was found between commute time spent in MVPA and total MVPA (p < .001). Conclusion: Commuting can be a major contributor to total MVPA, with the mode of commute having a significant role in the level of this contribution to total MVPA.

Citation

Gbadamosi, A., Clarke-Cornwell, A., Sindall, P., & Granat, M. (2020). The contribution of commuting to total daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour, 3(3), 189-196. https://doi.org/10.1123/jmpb.2019-0027

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 10, 2020
• Online Publication Date: May 8, 2020
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: May 12, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: May 12, 2020
• Journal: Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour
• Print ISSN: 2575-6605
• Electronic ISSN: 2575-6613
• Publisher: Human Kinetics
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 189-196
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/jmpb.2019-0027
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1123/jmpb.2019-0027
• Related Public URLs: https://journals-humankinetics-com.salford.idm.oclc.org/view/journals/jmpb/jmpb-overview.xml
• Additional Information: Access Information : Accepted author manuscript version reprinted, by permission, from Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour, 2020, Volume 3 (Issue 3): 189-196, https://doi.org/10.1123/jmpb.2019-0027. © Human Kinetics, Inc.