title: Active commuting and habit strength: an interactive and discriminant analyses approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Habits may be a mechanism linking environmental variables with active commuting. This study investigated the role of habit strength in the explanation of active commuting across profiles based on current active commuting, motivation, and habit strength within the framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey using validated questionnaires.
  
  
  METHODS
  Undergraduate students who participated for course credits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred and thirty-eight students (mean age  =  21.19 [SD  =  2.57]; 28.45% males; response rate  =  86.36%).
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire included TPB items, underlying beliefs, and a validated measure of habit strength. Active commuting was assessed with relevant items from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hierarchical regression and interaction analyses, discriminant function analysis, and analyses of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Habit strength was the strongest correlate of active commuting and interacted with intention: at low and medium levels of habit strength, the intention-bicycle use relationship was more than twice as strong as at high levels. Beliefs regarding situational barriers were amongst the most discriminating beliefs, whereas beliefs regarding health benefits did not distinguish profiles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stronger active commuting habits are associated with a lower association between intention and bicycle use. Persuasive health campaigns might more usefully instill a sense of confidence in various commuting situations rather than merely emphasizing health benefits of active commuting.
authors.affiliation: Amsterdam School of Communications Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. g.j.debruijn@uva.nl
authors.forename: Gert-Jan
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: de Bruijn
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gardner
mesh_terms: D001642:Bicycling; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D004779:Environment Design; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult