Physical activity (PA) promotion efforts among college-aged youth have traditionally focused on structured activity programs with limited emphasis on daily active-commuting behavior. PURPOSE: To assess the contribution of campus commuting behavior to total daily PA and to compare 3 measures of active-commuting: 1) pedometer steps (PED), 2) self-report questionnaire (QUEST), and 3) a self-reported walking route map that was evaluated with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. METHODS: Students in a general health class (n = 26; 80% female) wore a pedometer during waking hours and reported their day's active-commuting durations and on-campus walking routes for 5 consecutive school days (103 complete observation days). PED steps were recorded in a logbook when students: 1) left home for campus, 2) arrived at campus, 3) left campus for the day, and 4) went to bed. At day's end subjects completed a brief questionnaire about their commuting behaviors to and on campus. Subjects also recorded their day's commuting route on a campus map. The routes were translated into a GIS program that computed on-campus walking route distances. Correlations between measures of on-campus active-commuting behavior (PED, steps; QUEST, min; and GIS, m) were determined. RESULTS: Average (mean ± SEM) daily PA was 9,121 ± 406 steps/day with 53% of these steps (4,626 ± 276) due to active-commuting on-campus. Distance walked on the campus (campus area = 1.9 km2 or 0.7 miles2) was 2,169 ± 140 m/day (1.35 miles/day) taking 42.0 ± 3.3 min. Correlations between the objective and subjective measures of active-commuting behavior were 0.72 (GIS vs. PED), 0.68 (GIS vs. QUEST), and 0.71 (PED vs. QUEST). CONCLUSION: Active-commuting behavior in campus communities may be an important modifiable source of daily PA contributing to current PA recommendations. Future research in this area may provide promise for reducing prevalent health risks such as weight gains seen in college freshman students. Supported by the USC Prevention Research Center
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Welsh et al. (2002) studied this question.