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- Andersson, Dan, 1967-
(författare)
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Exploring Perceptions of Route Environments in Relation to Walking
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Every walk takes place in a route environment, which can play an important role in deterring or facilitating walking. The focus of this thesis is on the perceptions of environmental variables, and how they relate to appraisals of route environments as hindering – stimulating for walking and unsafe – safe for reasons of traffic, in two metropolitan environments. Another focus is to expand the state of knowledge concerning the criterion-related validity of the Active Commuting Route Environment Scale (ACRES).Methods: Commuting pedestrians in Greater Stockholm, Sweden, were recruited via advertisements. From the inner urban area there were 294 participants (77% women), aged 49.5 years, and from the suburban areas there were 233 participants (82% women), aged 50.0 years. 77 individuals walked in both areas. The participants evaluated their commuting route environments using the ACRES. Correlation, multiple regression, and mediation analyses were used to explore the relationships between the variables. Comparisons of environmental ratings between groups and settings were performed with t-tests. Studies 1 and 2 focused on the inner urban area and studies 3 and 4 on the suburban areas. Studies 1 and 3 focused exclusively on the relations between the four motorized traffic variables (vehicle speed, vehicle flow, noise, and exhaust fumes), and their relations to the outcome variables (hinders – stimulates walking and unsafe – safe traffic). Studies 2 and 4 utilised proxies from studies 1 and 3 and combined them with other environmental variables to further the understanding of route environmental variables in relation to walking.Results: In both areas, aesthetics and greenery were positively related to stimulating walking, whereas noise, a proxy for motorized traffic, was negatively related. Aesthetics was also positively related to unsafe – safe traffic in the inner urban area, whereas greenery had the corresponding role in suburbia. Another important finding was that greenery also influenced aesthetics positively in both areas. Thus, greenery had both a direct and an indirect positive effect. On the other hand, noise influenced aesthetics negatively in the inner urban area, whereas vehicle flow had the corresponding role in suburbia. A number of variables conjointly influenced the outcome unsafe – safe traffic negatively in both areas (speeds of motor vehicles, noise, conflicts, congestion: pedestrians, red lights, and course of the route). The route environment profiles differed distinctly between the two areas.Conclusions: Several route environmental variables appear to be particularly influential in relation to pedestrian commuting, e.g., aesthetics, greenery, and noise. An important finding is that both positive and negative interactions, between certain predictor variables, were disclosed. The contrasting route environment profiles in the different settings strengthen the criterion-related validity of the ACRES. The findings expands the state of knowledge concerning the relations between the environment and walking. If implemented, these findings can influence public health positively.
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| 2. |
- Andersson, Dan, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Pedestrians' perceptions of motorized traffic in relation to appraisals of their urban commuting route environments
- 2022
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Ingår i: Svensk idrottsmedicin 2022:2. - : Svensk förening för fysisk aktivitet och idrottsmedicin. ; , s. 29-
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background and MethodsRelations between pedestrians´ perceptions of traffic variables and appraisals of route environments as hindering – stimulating for walking as well as unsafe – safe for reasons of traffic, were studied in the inner urban area of Stockholm, Sweden (n = 294). The pedestrians used the Active Commuting Route Environment Scale (ACRES). Correlation, multiple regression, and mediation analyses were used to study the relationships between the traffic variables and the outcome variables.ResultsTraffic noise relates negatively to both hindering – stimulating for walking, and to unsafety – safety for traffic reasons. Vehicle speed related negatively to unsafety – safety for traffic reasons. Furthermore, vehicle speed protrudes as an important origin of the deterring effects of traffic among those who commute by foot.ConclusionThe study shows the value of both partial and simultaneous analyses of the effect of all four traffic variables in relation to outcome variables relevant for walking.
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Dan, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Pedestrians' perceptions of route environments in relation to deterring or facilitating walking
- 2023
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Public Health. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-2565. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundEvery walk takes place in a route environment, and it can play an important role in deterring or facilitating walking, and will always affect the environmental unwell – wellbeing of pedestrians. The aim of this study is to illuminate which the important route environmental variables are in this respect. The focus is therefore on pedestrians´ perceptions of route environmental variables and how they relate to overall appraisals of route environments as hindering – stimulating for walking and unsafe – safe for reasons of traffic. MethodsCommuting pedestrians in the inner urban area of Stockholm, Sweden (n = 294, 49.5 ± 10.4 years, 77% women), were recruited via advertisements. They evaluated their own commuting route environments using a self-report tool, the Active Commuting Route Environment Scale (ACRES). Correlation, multiple regression, and mediation analyses were used to study the relationships between the variables and the outcome variables. ResultsAesthetics and greenery appear to strongly stimulate walking, whereas noise, a proxy for motorized traffic, hinders it. Furthermore, aesthetics is positively related to traffic safety, whereas conflicts have the opposite role. Conflicts is an intermediate outcome, representing several basic environmental variables, whereof some were directly and negatively related to unsafe – safe traffic. Conclusion Route environmental variables appear to be potent factors in deterring or facilitating walking. This knowledge is of importance for policymakers and urban planners when designing route environments with the aim of attracting new pedestrians, and simultaneously stimulating those who already walk to keep on.
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| 4. |
- Andersson, Dan, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Trafikbuller – ett högljutt hot mot folkhälsan
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- BakgrundRegelbunden fysisk aktivitet har positiva hälsoeffekter, och många vill vara fysiskt aktiva, men upplever inte sällan olika hinder för det, till exempel tidsbrist. Att gå eller cykla till arbetet är därför en intressant möjlighet i detta sammanhang, då fysiskt aktiv arbetspendling ofta är tidseffektivt. Dessutom krävs sällan någon specialutrustning, startsträckan är kort och avstånden kan anpassas så att man går, cyklar hela eller delar av sträckan mellan hem och arbetsplats. Om färdvägsmiljön dessutom upplevs som stimulerande och trygg kan den sannolikt bidra till att upprätthålla ett beteende, och på så vis medverka till att många individer får en angelägen ”dos” fysisk aktivitet. Studier av hur olika trafikvariabler samspelar, och hur dessa i sin tur påverkar vår uppfattning om en färdvägsmiljö ger inga entydiga svar. Syftet med denna studie var därför att studera de interna sambanden mellan fyra olika variabler relaterade till motortrafik: hastighet, flöde, buller och avgaser samt hur dessa, i olika kombinationer, inverkar på uppfattningen om en miljö är hindrande eller stimulerande respektive trygg eller otrygg för arbetspendling till fots.Metod294 arbetspendlande fotgängare (49.5 ± 10.4 år, 77 % kvinnor) rekryterades via annonser, och deras upplevelser av sina färdvägsmiljöer i Stockholms innerstad har nyttjats i våra analyser. Upplevelserna skattades med färdvägsmiljöskalan ”The Active Commuting Route Environment Scale” (ACRES). Den innehåller utfallsvariablerna hindrande-stimulerande färdvägsmiljö och otrygghet-trygghet i trafiken, samt ett antal miljöprediktorer, varav vi har nyttjat de fyra som är relaterade till motortrafik: flöde av motorfordon, hastighet, buller och avgaser. Såväl trafikvariabler som utfallsvariabler skattades med 15-gradiga skalor. För att analysera sambanden mellan trafikvariablerna och utfallsvariablerna användes multipla regressionsanalyser. ResultatAlla trafikvariabler var i sig själva negativt relaterade de båda utfallsvariablerna hindrande-stimulerande färdvägsmiljö och otrygghet-trygghet i trafiken. När istället de fyra trafikvariablerna analyserades samtidigt i förhållande till om miljön upplevdes som hindrande eller stimulerande samt otrygg eller trygg var det enbart buller som var negativt relaterad till de båda utfallsvariablerna. Hastighet hade en negativ roll i förhållande till trygghetsvariabeln. Analyserna visade dessutom att både flöde av motorfordon och hastighet förutspådde buller.SlutsatserSamtidigt som varje trafikvariabel är negativt relaterad till hur färdvägsmiljöer upplevs av fotgängare, framträder motorfordons buller och hastigheter som de variabler som är mest bekymmersamma för fotgängare. Studier som denna kan utgöra ett underlag för arbetet med att skapa attraktiva miljöer för fotgängare, och därmed bidra till bättre folkhälsa, förändrade pendlingsmönster i urbana miljöer samt ökad ekologisk hållbarhet.
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| 5. |
- Olsson, Karin Sofia Elisabeth, et al.
(författare)
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Perceived exertion can be lower when exercising in field versus indoors
- 2024
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 19:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Studies indicate that the rated perceived exertion (RPE) during physical exercise can be lower in field environments than indoors. The environmental conditions of those studies are explored. Furthermore, we study if the same phenomenon is valid when cycling indoors versus in cycle commuting environments with high levels of stimuli from both traffic and suburban-urban elements. Methods: Twenty commuter cyclists underwent measurements of heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (V̇O2) and RPE assessments for breathing and legs, respectively, while cycling in both laboratory and field conditions. A validated mobile metabolic system was used in the field to measure V̇O2. Three submaximal cycle ergometer workloads in the laboratory were used to establish linear regression equations between RPE and % of HR reserve (%HRR) and %V̇O2max, separately. Based on these equations, RPE from the laboratory was predicted and compared with RPE levels at the participants’ individual cycle commutes at equal intensities. The same approach was used to predict field intensities and for comparisons with corresponding measured intensities at equal RPE levels. Results: The predicted RPE levels based on the laboratory cycling were significantly higher than the RPE levels in cycle commuting at equal intensities (67% of HRR; 65% of V̇O2max). For breathing, the mean RPE levels were; 14.0-14.2 in the laboratory and 12.6 in the field. The corresponding levels for legs were; 14.0-14.2 and 11.5. The range of predicted field intensities in terms of %HRR and %V̇O2max was 46-56%, which corresponded to median differences of 19-30% compared to the measured intensities in field at equal RPE. Conclusion: The cycle commuters perceived a lower exertion during their cycle commutes compared to ergometer cycling in a laboratory at equal exercise intensities. This may be due to a higher degree of external stimuli in field, although influences from other possible causes cannot be ruled out.
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| 6. |
- Schantz, Peter, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Estimating duration-distance relations in cycle commuting in the general population
- 2018
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 13:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is important to estimate the duration-distance relation in cycle commuting in the general population since this enables analyses of the potential for various public health outcomes. Therefore, the aim is to estimate this relation in the Swedish adult population of 2015. For that purpose, the first step was to establish it for adult male and female cycle commuters in Greater Stockholm, Sweden. Whether or not the slopes of these relations needed to be altered in order to make them representative of the general population was evaluated by comparing the levels of maximal oxygen uptake in samples of commuter cyclists and the population. The measure used was the maximal oxygen uptake divided by both the body weight and a cycle weight of 18.5 kg. The body weights in the population samples were adjusted to mirror relevant levels in 2015. Age adjustments for the duration–distance relations were calculated on the basis of the maximal oxygen uptake in the population samples aged 20–65 years. The duration-distance relations of the cycle commuters were downscaled by about 24–28% to mirror levels in the general population. The empirical formula for the distance (D, km) was based on duration (T, minutes) x speed (km/min) x a correction factor from cycle commuter to the general population x age adjustment (A, years). For the males in the general population the formula was: D = T x 20.76 km/h x 0.719 x (1.676 – 0.0147 x A). For females, the formula was: D = T x 16.14 km/h x 0.763 x (1.604 – 0.0129 x A). These formulas, combined with distributions of route distances between home and work in the population, enable realistic evaluations of the potential for different public health outcomes through cycle commuting.
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