Active commuting to work or school: Associations with subjective well-being and work-life balance

Abstract

IntroductionActive transportation (walking/cycling) has been inversely associated with numerous cardiometabolic outcomes, as well as CVD, cancer and overall mortality. Less is known about associations with subjective well-being and quality of life. MethodsCross-sectional data from the 2015 General Social Survey (Cycle 29 – Time Use) was used to investigate associations between commuting mode to work/school and multiple indices of subjective well-being and work-life balance, including an analysis of gender differences, among a representative sample of 7646 Canadians aged ≥15. Respondents were asked about travel mode to work/school in the previous week (vehicle as driver/passenger, public transit, walking, biking). Outcomes included self-rated health, self-rated mental health, perceived life stress, life satisfaction, work-life balance, and perception of being a “workaholic”. ResultsResults revealed that 77% of respondents used passive modes of transportation to work/school, 14% used public transit, and 9% actively commuted. Compared to passive commuting, actively commuting to work/school was associated with 35% lower odds of reporting dissatisfaction with work-life balance (p = 0.001), and 25% lower odds of self-identifying as a “workaholic” (p = 0.002). Women who used public transportation (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.48–0.88) or actively commuted (OR 0.44, 95%CI 0.29–0.67) were significantly less likely to report poor work-life balance. Women who actively commuted were also less likely to report high life stress, while women who used public transportation were more likely to report dissatisfaction with life. Commuting mode was not significantly associated with self-rated health or mental health. ConclusionsActive commuting to work or school is positively associated with certain indices of subjective well-being and work-life balance among Canadians, especially among women.