Active commuting by bicycle: results of an educational intervention study

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention on active commuting by bicycle. Methods: An intervention study with workers from a metallurgical industry in Santa Catarina state, Brazil was carried out in 2011. A total of 464 individuals were placed in the intervention group (IG) and 468 in the control group (CG). The intervention consisted of strategies based on the transtheoretical model and stages of behavior change. The intervention group took part in activities for 6 months, including 23 meetings. The statistical analysis included intergroup comparison (IG × CG) at baseline and after the intervention. Intragroup analysis was performed 6 months after the intervention. Student's t-test, chi-square, and McNemar tests were used to analyze the data. Results: Of the original total, 876 individuals (94%) participated in the study. The proportion of participants that used bicycles to commute to work (IG) increased significantly from baseline (45.3%) to the final interventional period (47.5%). No difference was found between the CG and the IG group after the interventional period. Conclusion: We suggest taking these findings into consideration in further studies to understand better the role of educational intervention on active commuting by bicycle.