Prevalence of physically active and sedentary travel in a regional area of Japan: Geographic and demographic variations

Abstract

BackgroundPromoting walking and cycling for transport is a promising strategy to address physical inactivity at the population level. Household travel surveys conducted in Western countries have been used to identify geographic and demographic correlates of travel behaviors, but less is known for Asian cities. We examined the prevalence of active and sedentary travel and their geographic and demographic variations in a regional area of Japan. MethodsData from 49,562 adults who participated in a travel survey in Shizuoka were used. Travel behaviors were self-reported in a 24-h travel diary. Participants were classified into those engaged in active travel (30+ min/d in walking/cycling and 0 min/d of car use) or not and sedentary travel (0 min/d in walking/cycling and 60+ min/d of car use) or not. Multilevel regression models examined the odds of engaging in active and sedentary travel, according to geographic areas (regional center or suburbs), gender, and age group (younger: 20–44 years; middle age: 45–64 years; older: 65–74 years), adjusting for relevant covariates. We also created a joint category of geographic area, gender, and age groups, and used the category as an exposure variable. ResultsOverall, 15% of participants engaged in active travel, and 21% in sedentary travel. Compared to participants of the regional center, those living in the suburbs had a 59% lower odds (95%CI: 0.29, 0.57) of engaging in active travel, and a 56% higher odds (95%CI: 1.31, 1.87) of engaging in sedentary travel. Analyses using the joint category found that younger and middle-aged men living in the suburbs were predominantly sedentary during transport. ConclusionWorking-age men living in regional suburbs were highly inactive for daily transport. Household travel survey data can help identify at-risk groups for whom tailored public health initiatives may be developed and implemented.