Predicting Transport-Related Walking in Chinese Employees by Integrating Worksite Neighbourhood Walkability and Social Cognition

Background: As an accessible and inexpensive activity in daily life for employees, transport-related walking is a promising focus of physical activity initiatives. The purpose of this study was to integrate worksite neighbourhood walkability with the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to predict transport-related walking in Chinese employees using a longitudinal design. Methods: A sample of 157 employees (M_age = 33.26 years; SD = 7.18) reported their social cognition and worksite neighbourhood environment perceptions at the baseline. Self-reported transport-related walking was measured at two time points, 1 month apart. Results: Path analyses revealed that intention had a direct effect on walking, while attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control had indirect effects on walking via intention. Past behaviour had a significant effect on walking, attenuating the intention–behaviour effect substantially. However, there was no indirect effect from perceived worksite neighbourhood walkability on walking through the TPB constructs. Furthermore, perceived neighbourhood walkability did not moderate the intention–walking relationship. Conclusions: Perceived worksite neighbourhood walkability had limited effects on transport-related walking, which seems to be a motivated and habitual behaviour. Habit-based interventions may be a priority over social cognitive and environmental change interventions, and future experimental studies are needed.