Active commuting to university in Chilean and Spanish university students: patterns and correlates

Resumo

Adulthood is the longest stage of life, and the beginning of this period may be determined by university. In fact, 76% of young adults worldwide decide to continue their education at the age of 18, starting their vocational education in parallel with their continuing personal development. In this respect, and according to the evidence, university is a critical period of change, and potentially of new lifestyles. Unfortunately, this transition is linked to behaviours that affect health, notably a significant reduction in physical activity levels. This could be extremely important, as the behaviours adopted in this period play a role in the consolidation of lifelong patterns. Active commuting to university has been studied as a potential strategy for increasing physical activity levels, as well as other valuable individual benefits, and also bringing environmental benefits. However, the use of active commuting depends on different factors that need to be studied and considered for its promotion. The main results of this International Doctoral Thesis show that commuting patterns to university and their associated correlates could be of interest for future studies focusing on the health of the university population, as well as for future strategies in transport policies, to promote active and sustainable commute such as walking and cycling.