Examining influences on active travel by sex among college students

Active travel (AT) is associated with various health benefits and may be advantageous in preventing the decline in physical activity during college years. Differences in factors related to AT by sex are not well understood. Objective: To examine factors related to AT by sex among college students. Participants: Participants included students at a large northeastern United States university (n=782). Methods: Students completed an online survey in September 2012 regarding multiple factors related to AT. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association of factors related to AT by sex. Results: Men were more likely to use AT than women. Among men, distance to campus had a significant negative association, and living with a roommate that walked or biked to campus had a significant positive association with AT. Among women, significant negative associations with AT were found for distance to campus and terrain. Conclusions: Findings from the present study suggest that among college students AT was higher among men than women. Targeting women over men for PA and AT interventions in a university setting may be warranted. Identifying populations at risk for physical inactivity may be useful in developing and implementing tailored multi-factor interventions.