A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Tracking and Trajectory Analysis of Active Commuting from Childhood to Midlife
Authors: Yang, Xiaolin; Kukko, Tuomas; Salin, Kasper; Kulmala, Janne; Rovio, Suvi P.; Pahkala, Katja; Lehtimäki, Terho; Raitakari, Olli T.; Tammelin, Tuija H.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Publication year: 2025
Journal: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Journal name in source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
ISSN: 0195-9131
eISSN: 1530-0315
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000003760
Web address : https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/abstract/9900/tracking_and_trajectory_analysis_of_active.816.aspx
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/498985978
Purpose
To examine the tracking and trajectories of active commuting (AC) from childhood to midlife and their association with physical activity (PA) levels over 35 years.
Methods
Self-rated AC and PA data were extracted from the Young Finns Study across six phases (1983 − 2018) for tracking (n = 2851) and trajectories (n = 1220). Accelerometer-derived PA was quantified in 2018–2020 (n = 1134). AC tracking was analyzed using Spearman’s correlation, percentage agreements, and kappa statistics. Latent class analysis was used to identify distinct AC trajectories, and their associations with adult PA were subsequently evaluated.
Results
Tracking correlations of AC over 3 − 4, 6 − 7, 15, 18, and 35 years for both sexes were 0.40 − 0.43, 0.30 − 0.33, 0.25 − 0.32, 0.20 − 0.23, and 0.15 − 0.22 in summer, and 0.38 − 0.42, 0.35 − 0.41, 0.30 − 0.40, 0.25 − 0.33, and 0.23 − 0.31 in winter, respectively. Percentage agreements exceeded 54%, with kappa statistics ranging from slight to fair over time. Based on AC trajectories, four classes were identified for men (M) and five for women (W): stable car commuting (M:58.9%, W:37.4%), decreasing AC (M:16.5%, W:22.2%), increasing AC (M:12.8%, W:17.3%), and stable AC (M:11.8%), stable active walking (W:12.2%), and stable active summer cycling (W:10.8%). Compared to stable car-commuting ones, women who consistently walked or cycled in summer had higher adult moderate-to-vigorous PA and step counts. Men with consistent AC accumulated more steps and higher self-reported PA. Increasing AC in men also reported higher total PA. Stable AC participants were more physically active on weekdays, while men in the increased AC group were more active on weekends.
Conclusions
Tracking of AC from childhood to mid-adulthood was low to moderately high. Stable and increasing AC trajectories predicted higher adult PA levels during weekdays or weekends.
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Funding information in the publication:
This study is part of the YFS, which has been financially supported by the Academy of Finland: grants 356405, 322098, 286284, 134309 (Eye), 126925, 121584, 124282, 129378 (Salve), 117797 (Gendi), and 141071 (Skidi); Finnish Ministry
of Education and Culture; the Social Insurance Institution of Finland; Competitive State Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility area of Kuopio, Tampere and Turku University Hospitals (grant X51001); Juho Vainio Foundation; Paavo Nurmi Foundation; Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research; Finnish Cultural Foundation; the Sigrid Juselius Foundation; Tampere Tuberculosis Foundation; Emil Aaltonen Foundation; Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation; Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation; Diabetes Research Foundation of Finnish Diabetes Association; EU Horizon 2020 (grant 755320 for TAXINOMISIS and grant 848146 for To Aition); European Research Council (grant 742927 for MULTIEPIGEN project); Tampere University Hospital Supporting Foundation; Finnish Society of Clinical Chemistry; the Cancer Foundation Finland; pBETTER4U_EU (Preventing obesity through Biologically and bEhaviorally Tailored inTERventions for you; project number: 101080117); CVDLink (EU grant no. 101137278) and the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation. KP is supported by Academy of Finland research fellowship (322112). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare
