Analyzing Time Use Behavior Patterns for In-Home, Online and Out-of-Home Discretionary Activities, and Their Interactions
19 Pages Posted: 29 Aug 2024
Abstract
The flexibility to perform activities either by traveling (e.g., dining out) or in-home/online (e.g., ordering food) provides convenience but challenges in understanding behavior across virtual and physical environments. This study investigates factors influencing the duration of discretionary activities using time-use survey data from Metro Vancouver, British Columbia. It analyzes various activities, including eating, shopping, exercising, socializing, and personal business, both in-person and online/in-home counterparts. A random parameter hazard model was developed to address the continuous nature of activity duration and to capture unobserved heterogeneity. The modeling exercise confirms the influence of one activity on the duration of the same activity performed differently and on the duration of other activities. The model also confirms the effects of socio-demographic characteristics, transport access, and land use attributes. Key findings show that individuals who spend more time on an in-person activity tend to spend less time on the same activity online or at home, and vice versa. Additionally, more time spent on one in-person activity leads to less time on other in-person activities and more on online or in-home activities. Older and lower-income individuals are likely to spend less time on online and in-home activities. Those living in mixed land use areas, closer to transit stops, and owning transit passes or household vehicles tend to spend more time on in-person activities. The findings of this study will aid in developing next-generation activity-based models encompassing out-of-home, in-home, and online activities, and in creating equitable transportation plans, policies, and strategies.
Keywords: Discretionary Activity, Activity Duration, Random Parameter Hazard Model, In-home Activity, Online Activity, Out-of-home Activity
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