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Active commuting to school: Associations with environment and parental concerns
Jacqueline Kerr1, Dori Rosenberg, James F Sallis
1Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92103, USA. jkerr@projects.sdsu.edu
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|May 9, 2006
Summary
Parental concerns and neighborhood environment significantly influence children
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Environmental Psychology
- Urban Planning
Background:
- Active commuting to school (e.g., walking or biking) is associated with numerous health benefits for children.
- Understanding the factors influencing active commuting is crucial for promoting childhood physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior.
- Neighborhood environmental characteristics and parental perceptions play a role in shaping children's travel behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the associations between objective and perceived neighborhood environmental features, and parental concerns, with children's active commuting to school.
- To investigate if parental concerns about safety and the environment differ based on neighborhood characteristics.
- To compare the relative influence of perceived environment, parental concerns, and objective environment on active commuting.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 259 parents of children aged 5-18 years, residing in neighborhoods selected for diverse walkability and income levels.
- Data collection included parent questionnaires on neighborhood perceptions, concerns about children walking to school, and children's commuting behaviors.
- Objective environmental measures were obtained for each participant and neighborhood; logistic regression analyses were employed to assess relationships.
Main Results:
- Parental concerns were the strongest predictor of active commuting (OR: 5.2).
- In high-income, high-walkability neighborhoods, active commuting was more prevalent (34%) compared to low-walkability areas (23%) (OR: 2.1).
- Parental concerns and neighborhood aesthetics were independently linked to active commuting; perceived access to facilities partially mediated walkability's effect.
Conclusions:
- Both parental concerns and the built environment are significant determinants of children's active commuting to school.
- Interventions aiming to increase active commuting should integrate strategies addressing both environmental modifications and parental education.
- Future research could explore tailored interventions based on neighborhood socioeconomic status and walkability.