Predictors of cycling in college students

J Am Coll Health. 2013;61(5):274-84. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2013.799479.

Abstract

Objectives: To (1) assess cycling-related questions that have been added to the electronic version of the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA), (2) examine cycling prevalence, and (3) identify predictors of cycling in college students.

Participants: Predominately female (69%), undergraduate (89%), and white (85%) students (N = 949) from a large, urban, northwestern, bicycle-friendly university completed the electronic version of the ACHA-NCHA II.

Methods: Thirty cycling-related questions were added to the ACHA-NCHA II and a subsample of questions was analyzed.

Results: Cycling questions added to the ACHA-NCHA II scale were reliable and valid, based on the psychometric data analysis. More than half (59%) of this sample cycled; of those, 58% cycled for transportation and 44% for recreation. Facilitators and barriers to cycling were different for cycling in general and cycling for transportation.

Conclusions: Cycling questions added to the ACHA-NCHA II can be utilized to enhance knowledge relative to cycling on college campuses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Bicycling / psychology
  • Bicycling / statistics & numerical data*
  • Body Mass Index
  • Female
  • Health Behavior
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Psychometrics
  • Residence Characteristics / statistics & numerical data
  • Social Support
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Students / statistics & numerical data*
  • Transportation / methods*
  • Universities*
  • Young Adult