Predicting Transport-Related Walking in Chinese Employees by Integrating Worksite Neighbourhood Walkability and Social Cognition.

Abstract

As an accessible and inexpensive activity in daily life for employees, transport-related walking is a promising focus of physical activity initiatives. The purpose of this study was to integrate worksite neighbourhood walkability with the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to predict transport-related walking in Chinese employees using a longitudinal design. A sample of 157 employees (Mage =33.26years; SD=7.18) reported their social cognition and worksite neighbourhood environment perceptions at the baseline. Self-reported transport-related walking was measured at two time points, 1month apart. Path analyses revealed that intention had a direct effect on walking, while attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control had indirect effects on walking via intention. Past behaviour had a significant effect on walking, attenuating the intention-behaviour effect substantially. However, there was no indirect effect from perceived worksite neighbourhood walkability on walking through the TPB constructs. Furthermore, perceived neighbourhood walkability did not moderate the intention-walking relationship. Perceived worksite neighbourhood walkability had limited effects on transport-related walking, which seems to be a motivated and habitual behaviour. Habit-based interventions may be a priority over social cognitive and environmental change interventions, and future experimental studies are needed.