Active travel to work in New South Wales 2005-2010, individual characteristics and association with body mass index

Objective: This study describes the prevalence of walking and cycling to work in New South Wales (NSW) from 2005-2010. It examines the demographic characteristics of those people walking and cycling to work and the association of walking and cycling with body mass index (BMI). Methods: Data from the NSW Continuous Health Survey, a telephone survey of health indicators among a representative sample of residents aged 16 years or over, were used. Results: There were no changes in the proportions of employed respondents walking or cycling to work in NSW from 2005 to 2010, with estimates ranging from 5.1-7.3% usually walking, and 1.4-1.8% usually cycling. People who walked (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.07, 95% CI 1.00-1.14) or cycled (AOR=1.22, 95% CI 1.14-1.32) to work had higher levels of education, after adjusting for age, sex, income and residence. Conclusions: There has been no overall increase in active commuting in NSW (2005-2010). Better efforts to communicate the benefits of active travel and less sedentary travel are warranted, in particular among those with lower levels of education. Implications: More interventions are needed to encourage walking and cycling to work, in order to gain significant benefits in terms of maintaining a healthy weight.