Document Type : Original Article
Authors
Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The development of public transportation (PT) is a crucial issue in the modern
societies. The aim of this study was to assess the status of PT usage among the population residing
in Mashhad.
MATERIALS and METHODS: In a cross‑sectional design, 464 citizens of Mashhad filled a checklist
about PT‑use (i.e., bus, taxi, and metro) to find their supporting and opposing factors in 2014.
Chi‑square, Mann–Whitney, Student’s t‑test, and logistic regressions were used for inferential
analysis in SPSS 11.5.
RESULTS: Mean age was 30.02 ± 11.24 years and 57% (263) were female. Bus (169, 50%) was the
most popular PT means, followed by metro (98, 29%) and taxi (74, 21%). Most transportations were
happened at morning (248, 35%) and evening (221, 31%). Increasing age (odds ratio [OR] =1.04,
confidence interval [CI] 95% = 1.008–1.07), higher education (OR = 2.91, CI 95% = 1.14–7.38),
being homemaker (OR = 2.97, CI 95% = 1.19–7.36), or student (OR = 2.91, CI 95% = 1.14–7.38)
were predictors of PT‑use.
CONCLUSION: Individual preference between PT and driving is associated with social, economic,
and cultural aspects of a population. Recognizing the influencing factors can help to design
population‑oriented services.
Keywords
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