Associations Between Environmental Characteristics and Active Commuting to School Among Children: a Cross-sectional Study

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 538-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Jeanne Aarts ◽  
Jolanda J. P. Mathijssen ◽  
Johannes A. M. van Oers ◽  
Albertine J. Schuit
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Active Commuting ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Environmental Characteristics ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Active Commuting To School

The Influence of Distance to School on the Associations Between Active Commuting and Physical Activity

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna Panter ◽  
Andrew Jones ◽  
Esther Van Sluijs ◽  
Simon Griffin
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Young People ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Active Commuting ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Environmental Determinants ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Active Commuting To School ◽  
Walking To School

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the associations between active commuting behavior, levels of physical activity and distance to school in 9–10 year old children. Participants were children (n = 1824) who took part in the SPEEDY study (Sport, Physical activity and Eating behavior: Environmental Determinants in Young people). For both boys and girls, significant positive associations were observed between walking to school and physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during weekday journey times (8–9am and 3–4pm), and the size of association also became stronger with increasing distance from school. Promotion of active commuting to school might be an important way to increase levels of physical activity in school children.

scholarly journals How Czech Adolescents Perceive Active Commuting to School: A Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 5562
Author(s):  
Michal Vorlíček ◽  
Petr Baďura ◽  
Josef Mitáš ◽  
Peter Kolarčik ◽  
Lukáš Rubín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Active Commuting ◽  
Peer Norms ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Active Commuting To School

To achieve a healthy lifestyle, adolescents must be physically active and meet physical activity (PA) guidelines. One of the most natural ways of increasing the amount of PA is active commuting (AC) to school. Recent reviews suggest that peer norms have the potential to shape PA during adolescence in particular. Thus, our primary aim was to investigate whether Czech adolescents misperceive their peers’ AC behaviors and attitudes towards AC. Our dataset comprised cross-sectional data on 1586 adolescents aged 11–15 years. Basic descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and correlation analyses were used to analyze the data. Regarding traveling to school, 68% of the Czech adolescents in this study are daily active commuters (walking, cycling, or riding a scooter or skateboard). Less than half of the respondents believed that most of their classmates were commuting to school actively almost daily. The students who believed that most of their classmates commuted to school actively had significantly higher chances of being regular active commuters themselves. The results showed that most of the Czech adolescents misperceived the AC norms of their peers. Thus, there could be potential in using a social norms approach aimed at increasing the level of AC in Czech adolescents through targeted interventions.

scholarly journals Physical Activity and Anthropometric Characteristics Among Urban Youth in Mexico: A Cross-Sectional Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1063-1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Parker ◽  
Darran Atrooshi ◽  
Lucie Lévesque ◽  
Edtna Jauregui ◽  
Simón Barquera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Urban Youth ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Outdoor Play ◽  
Active Commuting ◽  
Nutrition Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Active Commuting To School ◽  
Mexican Youth

Background:Obesity is a critical problem among Mexican youth, but few studies have investigated associations among physical activity (PA) modes and anthropometrics in this population. This study examined associations among active commuting to school (ACS), sports or other organized PA, outdoor play, and body mass index (BMI) percentile and waist circumference (WC) among Mexican youth.Methods:Parents of school children (N = 1996, ages 6 to 14 years, 53.1% female) in 3 Mexican cities reported PA participation using the (modified) fourth grade School Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey. Trained assessors measured BMI percentile and WC in person.Results:Parents reported that 52.3% of children engaged in ACS, 57.3% participated in sports or organized PA, and a median of 2 days in the previous week with at least 30 minutes of outdoor play. In complete case analyses (n = 857), ACS was negatively associated with BMI percentile, and outdoor play was negatively associated with WC after adjusting for school, age, sex, and income. In analyses incorporating data from multiple imputation (N = 1996), outdoor play was negatively associated with WC (all Ps < . 05).Conclusions:ACS and outdoor play are favorably associated with anthropometrics and may help prevent childhood obesity in Mexico. ACS and outdoor play should be priorities for increasing youth PA in Mexico.

scholarly journals Associations of mode and distance of commuting to school with cardiorespiratory fitness in Slovenian schoolchildren: a nationwide cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregor Jurak ◽  
Maroje Soric ◽  
Vedrana Sember ◽  
Sasa Djuric ◽  
Gregor Starc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Active Commuting ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Commuting Mode ◽  
Run Test ◽  
Shuttle Run

Abstract Background It is unclear whether active commuting has the potential to improve children’s health. This study examined the association of commuting mode and distance with children’s cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study, including 713 Slovenian schoolchildren aged 12 to 15 years. Commuting modes were self-reported, and four commuting groups were constructed, while CRF was determined with a 20-m shuttle run test. The distance from home to school was calculated using the Geographic Information System. Effects of commuting mode and distance, controlling for age, gender and amount of total physical activity, were evaluated using general two linear models (one for each direction of commuting to/from school). Results The main effect of commuting group on CRF and its interaction with distance were significant in the direction from school to home (P = 0.013 and P = 0.028, respectively), but not in the opposite direction. Predicted differences in CRF between commuting groups were moderate and generally higher in males than in females. When comparing commuting group median distance from home to school, males driven by car had around 4 ml/min/kg lower predicted CRF than those who walked (P = 0.01) or used wheels commuting (e.g., bicycle, skateboard). Conclusions The distance of commuting had a small effect on CRF, except in the Car group where children who live close to school had significantly lower CRF than those living further away. Children driven by car who live within wheels or walk distance from school should be targeted by interventions promoting active transport.

Active Commuting: Prevalence, Barriers, and Associated Variables

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 750-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Samara Silva ◽  
Daniel Giordani Vasques ◽  
Caroline de Oliveira Martins ◽  
Laura Ashley Williams ◽  
Adair S. Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
Prevalence Ratio ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cardiovascular Fitness ◽  
Active Commuting ◽  
Sedentary Behaviors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Active Commuting To School ◽  
Behavioral Variables ◽  
Associated Variables

Background:Research has demonstrated that adolescents who actively commute have higher levels of physical activity (PA), which have declined precipitously over the past 30 years. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of active commuting to school; and to identify barriers associated with active commuting.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1672 students (46.8% boys and 53.2% girls) from 11 to 17 years of age in Caxias do Sul/RS, Brazil. The students were asked to answer questionnaires about active transport, PA, and sedentary behaviors. They also completed a cardiovascular fitness test and body composition measurements. The study used a multivariate Poisson regression analysis.Results:A total of 62.5% of students were observed to actively commute and the prevalence ratio (PR) of not actively commuting was associated with the type of school (Private: 2.41; 1.47, 3.95) and the time spent on commuting (>20 min: 1.93; 1.23, 3.03). The associated barriers to passive commuting were distance (3.02; 1.95, 4.71), crime/ danger (2.65; 1.82, 3.85), and traffic (1.75; 1.19, 2.58).Conclusions:This study showed that environmental variables were strongly associated with active commuting. However, no alterations in body composition or other behavioral variables were observed after adjustment.

scholarly journals Prevalence and correlates of physical activity among adolescents from Southern Brazil

2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 457-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel C Dumith ◽  
Marlos R Domingues ◽  
Denise P Gigante ◽  
Pedro C Hallal ◽  
Ana M B Menezes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Skin Color ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Active Commuting ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Active Commuting To School ◽  
Parental Physical Activity

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence and identify correlates of physical activity among adolescents. METHODS: Cross-sectional study nested within a cohort of 4,325 subjects from the city of Pelotas, Southern Brazil, aged 14-15 years in 2008. Physical activity was analyzed using three different approaches: (1) prevalence of any leisure-time physical activity; (2) prevalence of any active commuting to school; and (3) prevalence of engaging in at least 300 minutes per week of both (1) and (2) combined. Independent variables included sociodemographic, behavioral, social, and biological characteristics, and number of different leisure-time physical activites practiced. Statistical analyses were carried out using Poisson regression. RESULTS: The proportion of adolescents involved in any type of leisure-time physical activity was 75.6%, while 73.4% displayed some form of active commuting to school. Prevalence of total physical activity score (> 300 min/week) was 48.2%, being greater among boys (62.6%) than among girls (34.5%). Furthermore, prevalence increased along with the number of physical activity modalities practiced (p<0.001). Factors associated with greater physical activity (leisure + commuting) at the recommended levels were: nonwhite skin color, having failed at school, and playing videogames. Lower socioeconomic status, more time spent on the computer, and parental physical activity were associated with the outcome only among girls. CONCLUSIONS: Less than half the adolescents reached recommended levels of physical activity, and this proportion tended to decrease among subjects with higher socioeconomic level. Associated factors were different for leisure-time and commuting. Engaging in a wide variety of physical activities should be encouraged already during childhood.

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