Built environmental correlates of cycling for transport across Europe.
This cross-sectional study aimed to determine which objective built environmental factors, identified using a virtual neighbourhood audit, were associated with cycling for transport in adults living in five urban regions across Europe. The moderating role of age, gender, socio-economic status and country on these associations was also investigated. Overall, results showed that people living in neighbourhoods with a preponderance of speed limits below 30km/h, many bicycle lanes, with less traffic calming devices, more trees, more litter and many parked cars forming an obstacle on the road were more likely to cycle for transport than people living in areas with lower prevalence of these factors. Evidence was only found for seven out of 56 possible moderators of these associations. These results suggest that reducing speed limits for motorized vehicles and the provision of more bicycle lanes may be effective interventions to promote cycling in Europe.
Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Lieze
L
Mertens
Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Sofie
S
Compernolle
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 4k3, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Human Biometry and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Benedicte
B
Deforche
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Joreintje D
JD
Mackenbach
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Jeroen
J
Lakerveld
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Johannes
J
Brug
Équipe de Recherche en Épidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Université Paris 13, Centre de Recherche en Épidémiologie et Statistiques, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, F-93017 Bobigny, France.
Célina
C
Roda
Équipe de Recherche en Épidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Université Paris 13, Centre de Recherche en Épidémiologie et Statistiques, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, F-93017 Bobigny, France.
Thierry
T
Feuillet
Équipe de Recherche en Épidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Université Paris 13, Centre de Recherche en Épidémiologie et Statistiques, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, F-93017 Bobigny, France; Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Department of Nutrition Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital (AP-HP), Centre for Research on Human Nutrition Ile-de-France (CRNH IdF), Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition (ICAN), Paris, France.
Jean-Michel
JM
Oppert
ECOHOST - The Centre for Health and Social Change, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Ketevan
K
Glonti
ECOHOST - The Centre for Health and Social Change, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Harry
H
Rutter
Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Hungary.
Helga
H
Bardos
Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Ilse.Debourdeaudhuij@Ugent.be.
Ilse
I
De Bourdeaudhuij
Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Delfien
D
Van Dyck
D000328:Adult; D001642:Bicycling; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004779:Environment Design; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012111:Residence Characteristics
Active transport; Built environment; Cycling; Google street view; Virtual audit