Exploring the Psychological, Social and Environmental Barriers to Active Travel at Queen Margaret University

Abstract

Background This honours project will focus on active travel in the form of walking and cycling in relation to traveling to Queen Margret University (QMU). Active travel is a mode of transport that uses exercise for commuting rather than for recreation, this consists mainly of cycling and walking (Beactive 2015). Being physically active as a means of active transport is an easy way for people to participate in physical activity as it can be incorporated to everyday life. (UK Government 2016). The main aim of this honours project is to identify psychological, social and environmental barriers experienced by QMU staff and students in actively traveling to the University. Currently there is limited research on active travel within the university community. Queen Margaret University does address active travel in their Green Travel Plan (QMU 2019) and the Queen Margaret travel survey 2018 (QMU 2019). The Queen Margaret travel survey will be compared with the honours project questionnaire. The Theory of planned behaviour is also used as this behaviour change model was used in the literature surrounding active travel and also students. Method and Results This study will use quantitative data gathered from an online questionnaire which ran for a two-week period. Exclusion criteria will be anyone who does not attend Queen Margaret University or those living on campus. The questionnaire will focus on active travel to the university and helps to identify the psychological, social and environmental barriers towards active travel at Queen Margaret University. SPPS will be used to analyse data obtained from the questionnaire and chi squared t testing is used and the results presented in tables. 43 participants answered the questionnaire. Results found that 23% walk to university and 20% cycle to university and most participants do not walk or cycle to university so do not actively travel to university. Staff were more inclined to cycle to university and knew people that cycled compared to student who more likely to walk but knew none one that cycled. Discussion Comparing the honours project questionnaire with the Queen Margaret travel survey 2018 gave insight of what the university initiatives are surrounding active travel ant their main aims are. Since the Queen Margaret travel survey 2018 does not emphasise the psychological, social and environmental barriers towards active travel, while this honours project questionnaire attempts to address these issues. This information gives future ideas for active travel initiatives that can be implemented, such as a cycle training programme and improved routes to university