Abstract

Introduction: Active travel surveillance in Latin American is scarce and concentrated in a few countries. Surveillance of transport cycling in Chile is critical to document, to serve as a baseline from which to measure future planned strategies to increase transport cycling. This study aimed to document the prevalence of transport cycling in urban-dwelling Chilean adults and to examine factors associated with transport cycling in this population. Methods: Data were collected from two cross-sectional National Environmental Surveys. Surveys were administered through a computer-assisted telephone interview system to representative samples of adult residents of the 15 regional capital cities in 2014 (n = 5057) and 2015 (n = 5664). Multivariable, multi-level logistic regression modelling was used to assess correlates of bicycling as the primary transport mode (yes, no) in the total sample and separately by sex. Results: Transport cycling was reported by 7% of participants in 2014 and 2015. The highest prevalence estimates were found in males (9-10%), participants aged 18-24 years (12%), participants of low socioeconomic status (7%), and participants living in cities with warm summers and mild winters (8-9%). Low socioeconomic status was associated with greater likelihood of cycling in men (OR: 1.75 (95% CI 1.35-2.28), p < 0.001) but with reduced likelihood of cycling in women (OR: 0.68 (95% CI 0.52-0.91), p = 0.009). Associations between environmental factors and transport cycling were stronger in women than in men. Conclusions: Transport cycling prevalence in Chile is low compared to other Latin American countries. Associations between environmental factors and transport cycling differed by gender. City planners should consider how environmental factors influence gender inequalities in transport cycling in their cities.