Individual, employment and psychosocial factors influencing walking to work: Implications for intervention design

BackgroundPromoting walking for the journey to and from work (commuter walking) is a potential strategy for increasing physical activity. Understanding the factors influencing commuter walking is important for identifying target groups and designing effective interventions. This study aimed to examine individual, employment-related and psychosocial factors associated with commuter walking and to discuss the implications for targeting and future design of interventions.Methods1,544 employees completed a baseline survey as part of the ‘Walking Works’ intervention project (33.4% male; 36.3% aged ResultsAlmost half of respondents (n = 587, 49%) were classified as commuter walkers. Those who were aged ConclusionsA number of individual, employment-related and psychosocial factors were associated with commuter walking. Target groups for interventions to promote walking to and from work may include those in older age groups and those who own or have access to a car. Multi-level interventions targeting individual level behaviour change, social support within the workplace and organisational level travel policies may be required in order to promote commuter walking.