What interventions increase commuter cycling? A systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
To identify interventions that will increase commuter cycling.


METHODS
All settings where commuter cycling might take place.


METHODS
Adults (aged 18+) in any country.


METHODS
Individual, group or environmental interventions including policies and infrastructure.


METHODS
A wide range of 'changes in commuter cycling' indicators, including frequency of cycling, change in workforce commuting mode, change in commuting population transport mode, use of infrastructure by defined populations and population modal shift.


RESULTS
12 studies from 6 countries (6 from the UK, 2 from Australia, 1 each from Sweden, Ireland, New Zealand and the USA) met the inclusion criteria. Of those, 2 studies were randomised control trials and the remainder preintervention and postintervention studies. The majority of studies (n=7) evaluated individual-based or group-based interventions and the rest environmental interventions. Individual-based or group-based interventions in 6/7 studies were found to increase commuter cycling of which the effect was significant in only 3/6 studies. Environmental interventions, however, had small but positive effects in much larger but more difficult to define populations. Almost all studies had substantial loss to follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite commuter cycling prevalence varying widely between countries, robust evidence of what interventions will increase commuter cycling in low cycling prevalence nations is sparse. Wider environmental interventions that make cycling conducive appear to reach out to hard to define but larger populations. This could mean that environmental interventions, despite their small positive effects, have greater public health significance than individual-based or group-based measures because those interventions encourage a larger number of people to integrate physical activity into their everyday lives.
Health Economics Research Group (HERG), Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK.
Glenn
G
Stewart
Health Economics Research Group (HERG), Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK.
Nana Kwame
NK
Anokye
Health Economics Research Group (HERG), Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK.
Subhash
S
Pokhrel
D001315:Australia; D001642:Bicycling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004779:Environment Design; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D009043:Motor Activity; D009520:New Zealand; D013548:Sweden; D014186:Transportation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States
Physical activity; commuter cycling; health benefits; lifestyle