Who is in the near market for bicycle sharing? Identifying current, potential, and unlikely users of a public bicycle share program in Vancouver, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Public bicycle share programs in many cities are used by a small segment of the population. To better understand the market for public bicycle share, this study examined the socio-demographic and transportation characteristics of current, potential, and unlikely users of a public bicycle share program and identified specific motivators and deterrents to public bicycle share use. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from a 2017 Vancouver public bicycle share (Mobi by Shaw Go) member survey (n = 1272) and a 2017 population-based survey of Vancouver residents (n = 792). We categorized non-users from the population survey as either potential or unlikely users based on their stated interest in using public bicycle share within the next year. We used descriptive statistics to compare the demographic and transportation characteristics of current users to non-users, and multiple logistic regression to compare the profiles of potential and unlikely users. RESULTS: Public bicycle share users in Vancouver tended to be male, employed, and have higher educations and incomes as compared to non-users, and were more likely to use active modes of transportation. The vast majority of non-users (74%) thought the public bicycle share program was a good idea for Vancouver. Of the non-users, 23% were identified as potential users. Potential users tended to be younger, have lower incomes, and were more likely to use public transit for their main mode of transportation, as compared to current and unlikely users. The most common motivators among potential users related to health benefits, not owning a bicycle, and stations near their home or destination. The deterrents among unlikely users were a preference for riding their own bicycle, perceived inconvenience compared to other modes, bad weather, and traffic. Cost was a deterrent to one-fifth of unlikely users, notable given they tended to have lower incomes than current users. CONCLUSION: Findings can help inform targeted marketing and outreach to increase public bicycle share uptake in the population.

Impacts of Bicycle Infrastructure in Mid-Sized Cities (IBIMS): protocol for a natural experiment study in three Canadian cities.

INTRODUCTION: Bicycling is promoted as a transportation and population health strategy globally. Yet bicycling has low uptake in North America (1%-2% of trips) compared with European bicycling cities (15%-40% of trips) and shows marked sex and age trends. Safety concerns due to collisions with motor vehicles are primary barriers.To attract the broader population to bicycling, many cities are making investments in bicycle infrastructure. These interventions hold promise for improving population health given the potential for increased physical activity and improved safety, but such outcomes have been largely unstudied. In 2016, the City of Victoria, Canada, committed to build a connected network of infrastructure that separates bicycles from motor vehicles, designed to attract people of 'all ages and abilities' to bicycling.This natural experiment study examines the impacts of the City of Victoria's investment in a bicycle network on active travel and safety outcomes. The specific objectives are to (1) estimate changes in active travel, perceived safety and bicycle safety incidents; (2) analyse spatial inequities in access to bicycle infrastructure and safety incidents; and (3) assess health-related economic benefits. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study is in three Canadian cities (intervention: Victoria; comparison: Kelowna, Halifax). We will administer population-based surveys in 2016, 2018 and 2021 (1000 people/city). The primary outcome is the proportion of people reporting bicycling. Secondary outcomes are perceived safety and bicycle safety incidents. Spatial analyses will compare the distribution of bicycle infrastructure and bicycle safety incidents across neighbourhoods and across time. We will also calculate the economic benefits of bicycling using WHO's Health Economic Assessment Tool. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study received approval from the Simon Fraser University Office of Research Ethics (study no. 2016s0401). Findings will be disseminated via a website, presentations to stakeholders, at academic conferences and through peer-reviewed journal articles.

Environmental and psychosocial correlates of objectively measured physical activity among older adults.

OBJECTIVE: Neighborhood environments can support or hinder physical activity especially as health declines with age. This study puts psychological theories of health behavior change in context with built environment research to better understand the interplay of environmental and psychosocial characteristics impacting older adults' sedentary behavior and physical activity. METHOD: The Active Streets, Active People study recruited 193 older adults living in a highly walkable neighborhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Participants completed questionnaires on attitudes toward walking, behavioral control for walking, and perceived built environment variables. To assess behavior, participants wore an ActiGraph GT3X + accelerometer for 7 consecutive days. Regression-based path analysis was conducted to examine whether the link between the perceived environment and behavior is mediated by psychosocial variables. RESULTS: In total, 174 participants had valid accelerometry data (Mage = 70.3, SD = 7.2) and demonstrated a daily average of 525.7 min of sedentary behavior (SD = 65.1) as well as high levels of total physical activity (M = 254.3, SD = 65.1 min/day). Mediation analysis revealed that perceived street connectivity and diversity of land use were negatively related to sedentary behavior, but only indirectly through behavioral control. Similarly, effects of street connectivity and diversity of land use on physical activity were mediated by behavioral control. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlighted that the perceived built environment is important for physical activity and sedentary behavior, largely because these environmental perceptions are positively linked to older adults' confidence in walking. By integrating environmental and psychosocial correlates of preventive health behaviors within a theoretical structure, the psychosocial mechanisms through which the environment affects activity can be better understood. (PsycINFO Database Record

An Intervention To Enhance the Food Environment in Public Recreation and Sport Settings: A Natural Experiment in British Columbia, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Publicly funded recreation and sports facilities provide children with access to affordable physical activities, although they often have unhealthy food environments that may increase child obesity risk. This study evaluated the impact of a capacity-building intervention (Healthy Food and Beverage Sales; HFBS) on organizational capacity for providing healthy food environments, health of vending machine products, and food policy development in recreation and sport facilities in British Columbia, Canada. METHODS: Twenty-one HFBS communities received training, resources, and technical support to improve their food environment over 8 months in 2009-2010, whereas 23 comparison communities did not. Communities self-reported organizational capacity, food policies, and audited vending machine products at baseline and follow-up. Repeated-measures analysis of variance evaluated intervention impact. RESULTS: Intervention and comparison communities reported higher organizational capacity at follow-up; however, improvements were greater in HFBS communities (p<0.001). Healthy vending products increased from 11% to 15% (p<0.05), whereas unhealthy products declined from 56% to 46% (p<0.05) in HFBS communities, with no changes in comparison communities. At baseline 10% of HFBS communities reported having a healthy food policy, whereas 48% reported one at follow-up. No comparison communities had food policies. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first large, controlled study to examine the impact of an intervention to improve recreation and sport facility food environments. HFBS communities increased their self-rated capacity to provide healthy foods, healthy vending product offerings, and food policies to a greater extent than comparison communities. Recreation and sport settings are a priority setting for supporting healthy dietary behaviors among children.

An Intervention To Enhance the Food Environment in Public Recreation and Sport Settings: A Natural Experiment in British Columbia, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Publicly funded recreation and sports facilities provide children with access to affordable physical activities, although they often have unhealthy food environments that may increase child obesity risk. This study evaluated the impact of a capacity-building intervention (Healthy Food and Beverage Sales; HFBS) on organizational capacity for providing healthy food environments, health of vending machine products, and food policy development in recreation and sport facilities in British Columbia, Canada. METHODS: Twenty-one HFBS communities received training, resources, and technical support to improve their food environment over 8 months in 2009-2010, whereas 23 comparison communities did not. Communities self-reported organizational capacity, food policies, and audited vending machine products at baseline and follow-up. Repeated-measures analysis of variance evaluated intervention impact. RESULTS: Intervention and comparison communities reported higher organizational capacity at follow-up; however, improvements were greater in HFBS communities (p<0.001). Healthy vending products increased from 11% to 15% (p<0.05), whereas unhealthy products declined from 56% to 46% (p<0.05) in HFBS communities, with no changes in comparison communities. At baseline 10% of HFBS communities reported having a healthy food policy, whereas 48% reported one at follow-up. No comparison communities had food policies. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first large, controlled study to examine the impact of an intervention to improve recreation and sport facility food environments. HFBS communities increased their self-rated capacity to provide healthy foods, healthy vending product offerings, and food policies to a greater extent than comparison communities. Recreation and sport settings are a priority setting for supporting healthy dietary behaviors among children.