Faculty Collaboration Database

Biking for Health: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Impact of a Bicycling Intervention on Lower-Income Adults. WMJ 2017 Aug;116(3):154-160

Date

01/13/2018

Pubmed ID

29323831

Pubmed Central ID

PMC6130255

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85028719810 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   7 Citations

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This pilot study tested the efficacy of a bicycling intervention targeting inactive, low-income, overweight adults on reducing perceived barriers to bicycling, increasing physical activity, and improving health.

METHODS: A nonblinded 2-site randomized controlled trial was conducted in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in summer 2015. Participants included members from 1 largely Latino community and a second primarily African American neighborhood. A certified bicycling instructor led a 12-week bicycling intervention. Outcome measures including biking-related attitudes, self-reported physical activity, fitness as measured by the 6-minute step test, and biometric data were collected at baseline, 12 weeks, and 20 weeks.

RESULTS: Thirty-eight participants completed the study. Barriers to bicycling declined significantly among intervention group participants at 12 weeks with some declines persisting to 20 weeks. Bicycling for leisure or non work transportation increased significantly more in the intervention than control group from baseline to 12 weeks but this difference attenuated by 20 weeks. Both groups increased their fitness between baseline and 12 weeks, with a trend towards greater gains in the bicycling intervention group. No significant change in biometric measurements was seen at either 12 weeks or 20 weeks.

CONCLUSION: Despite the small study size, this bicycling intervention decreased perceived barriers to bicycling and increased bicycling activity in low-income minority participants. These findings support a larger-scale study to measure fitness and health changes from bicycling interventions.

Author List

Bernstein R, Schneider R, Welch W, Dressel A, DeNomie M, Kusch J, Sosa M

Authors

Jennifer Kusch PhD Assistant Provost, Assistant Professor in the Academic Affairs department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Whitney A. Morelli PhD Assistant Professor in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Aged
Attitude to Health
Bicycling
Exercise
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Overweight
Pilot Projects
Poverty Areas
Self Report
Wisconsin