Prevalence and correlates of active transportation to campus among Canadian post-secondary students: evidence from the Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey

Introduction: Active transportation to campus may be an important source of physical activity while contributing to broader benefits to the environment. Currently, little is known about the transportation behaviour of post-secondary students. The aims of the current study were (a) to examine the prevalence of active transportation to campus in a national sample of post-secondary students, and (b) to examine the sociodemographic, contextual and lifestyle characteristics associated with those transportation behaviours. Methods: This large-sample cross-sectional analysis used self-reported data from the Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey across three deployment time periods. Descriptive analyses were conducted to characterize the sample, mental health indicators, and prevalence of active transportation. Binary logistic regression was used to examine associations between sociodemographic, contextual, and mental health factors and transportation mode (active vs. not active). Results were reported as adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. In total, 41,553 respondents were included in the sample from 56 post-secondary institutions (33 universities, 15 colleges, and 8 institutes). Results: Overall, 16.4% of respondents reported using an active mode of transportation to campus. Active transportation prevalence was highest among respondents aged 20-24 (20.6%; aOR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.14-1.63, vs. under 20) and those who identified as a man (17.9%; aOR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.07-1.35) or non-binary or Two-Spirit (19.7%; aOR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.18-1.75), relative to women. Students from Ontario (22.1%) and Nova Scotia (23.6%) had the highest prevalence of active transportation; compared with Ontario, odds were lower in Alberta (aOR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.17-0.56) and British Columbia (aOR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.15-0.54). Commute time showed the strongest association: prevalence was 27.7% for 0-30 min, and odds were substantially lower for 31-60 min (aOR = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.06-0.12) and over 60 min (aOR = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.01-0.03), compared with 0-30 min. Students who met the Canadian physical activity guidelines (18.3%) reported higher prevalence of active transportation; not meeting guidelines was associated with lower odds (aOR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.54-0.71). Conclusion: Most Canadian post-secondary students travel to their institution by transit or car. Correlates of active transportation were consistent with existing research. Students using active transportation were more likely to be younger, male and of higher SES. Active transportation was more likely to occur in larger, urban settings. They were also more likely to report meeting the Canadian physical activity guidelines. Future policy and practice should focus on how to support more students living within a reasonable distance from their campus to walk or cycle.