From Cars to Bikes - the Feasibility and Effect of Bicycling for Transportation Among Parents of Toddlers

NCT03131518 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 1320 98842
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

There is a need for a greater understanding of e-bikes and their role in the transportation network, and further effects on physical activity (PA) levels and health. Moreover, longtail bikes could meet certain practical needs not sufficiently fulfilled by e-bikes or traditional bikes, hence increased knowledge regarding their potential and feasibility should be obtained. No intervention study has investigated whether providing an e-bike or a longtail bike over an extended period in a sample of inactive parents of toddlers influence objectively assessed amount of cycling, total PA level, potential mode shifts, and effect on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition and blood pressure. Objectives: To assess the effect of an intervention where participants have access to an e-bike (including a trailer), a longtail bike and a traditional bike (including a trailer) on the following parameters:

1. 1.Objectively assessed amount of biking, total levels of PA, and mode shifts from car/motorized modes to bicycle.
2. 2.Cardiorespiratory fitness, blood pressure, body composition, self-reported health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
3. 3.Experiences with bicycling (el/longtail/traditional) and intrinsic motivation for bicycling.
4. 4.How season and weather conditions influence the amount of bicycling (el/longtail/traditional).
5. 5.A web-based questionnaire will assess socio-demographics (at baseline only), transportation habits, self-perceived health and HRQoL, and motivation for bicycling for transportation. For the intervention group: at baseline and post all intervention arms, i.e. four times. For the control group: at baseline and after 9 months, i.e. two times.
6. 6.Cycling time and distance will be assessed through usage of a cycle computer throughout the entire project period, in total nine months.
7. 7.Time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) will be estimated with the monitor SenseWear Armband Mini (SWA) for seven consecutive days at study start and after 9 months (post-intervention).
8. 8.Cardiorespiratory fitness will be measured performing treadmill walking/running, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) will be used for assessing body composition. In addition, blood pressure, body weight and height (height only at baseline) will be measured at baseline and after 9 months (post-intervention).
9. 9.Participants' experiences with and motivation for usage of the different bicycle types will be explored in semi-structured focus group interviews after 3 months, 6 months and 9 months.
10. 10.Weather data (temperature, rainfall, snow, etc.) will also be collected.

Conditions

Bicycling Distance; Bicycling Time; Physical Activity Level; Cardiorespratory Fitness; Body Composition

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Amount of bicycling

  Bicycling distance and time will be combined to assess change in total amount of bicycling for transportation.

  In total 9 months, 3 months for each bicycle type.

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Physical activity level

  2 weeks; one week at baseline, and one week after 9 months (post-intervention).

• Cardiorespiratory fitness

  Baseline and 9 months (post-intervention).

• Body composition

  Baseline and 9 months (post-intervention).

• Blood pressure

  Baseline and 9 months (post-intervention).

Other Outcomes (1)

• Feasibility and motivation for bicycling (qualitative)

  Retrospective after 3 months, 6 months and 9 months (post-intervention).

Study Arms (3)

E-bicycle

OTHER

Access to an e-bicycle will be provided.

Behavioral: Access to an e-bicycle with trailer

Longtail bicycle

OTHER

Access to a longtail bicycle will be provided.

Behavioral: Access to a longtail bicycle

Traditional bicycle

OTHER

Access to a traditional bicycle will be provided.

Behavioral: Access to a traditional bike with trailer

Interventions

Access to an e-bicycle with trailer BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be provided with an e-bike with trailer for 3 months.

E-bicycle

Access to a longtail bicycle BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be provided with a longtail bike for 3 months.

Longtail bicycle

Access to a traditional bike with trailer BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be provided with a traditional bicycle with trailer for 3 months.

Traditional bicycle

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 67 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• being able to understand and read Norwegian
• having one child born in 2013, 2014 or 2015 attending kindergarten
• being responsible for bringing/picking up the "study child" in the kindergarten ≥5 times per week/at least half of the times
• residing 2-10 km from the workplace
• residing \<3 km from the kindergarten and the grocery shop
• having car-access
• possessing a smartphone
• being between 167-190 cm tall (due to the size of accessible bicycles)
• having the opportunity to store the bicycles indoors

You may not qualify if:

• having bicycled more than once weekly during the last 12 months to either the workplace, the kindergarten, or the grocery shop.
• suffering from severe cardiovascular diseases or upper respiratory tract diseases.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Agder: lead
• Stiftelsen Helse og Rehabilitering: collaborator
• The National Association for Public Health, Norway: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Agder

Kristiansand, 4604, Norway

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Bjornara HB, Berntsen S, Te Velde SJ, Fegran L, Fyhri A, Deforche B, Andersen LB, Bere E. From cars to bikes - the feasibility and effect of using e-bikes, longtail bikes and traditional bikes for transportation among parents of children attending kindergarten: design of a randomized cross-over trial. BMC Public Health. 2017 Dec 28;17(1):981. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4995-z.

  PMID: 29282108 DERIVED

Study Officials

• Elling Bere, Prof.

  University of Agder

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Model Details: All participants in the intervention group (n=18) will complete the following intervention arms in random order: (i) 3 months access to an e-bicycle with trailer (n=6), (ii) 3 months access to a longtail bicycle (n=6), and (iii) 3 months access to a regular bicycle with trailer (n=6), in total 9 months. Also, a control group (n=18) maintaining usual transportation and PA habits will be included.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 19, 2017
• First Posted: April 27, 2017
• Study Start: June 2, 2017
• Primary Completion: June 25, 2018
• Study Completion: June 25, 2018
• Last Updated: June 29, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

NO (1)