Travel patterns to school among children with asthma
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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

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Published on: February 3, 2023
Nicolas M Oreskovic1, Gregory S Sawicki, T Bernard Kinane
1Department of Pediatrics, Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Boston, Massachusets, USA. noreskovic@partners.org
Background:
Active commuting to school provides regular exercise, which can improve asthma symptoms. Little is known about how children with asthma travel to school.
Objective:
To identify travel patterns and parental perceptions surrounding mode of travel to school among children with asthma.
Methods:
Cross-sectional study of 176 children with asthma aged 5 to 15 years. Parents completed questionnaires assessing mode of travel to school, physical activity, asthma control, physician counseling, and factors influencing parental decisions. Data analysis included descriptive and bivariate statistics.
Results:
Few (16%) children with asthma actively commute to school. Active travelers lived closer to school, and "distance" was the most frequently reported factor influencing a parent's decision regarding travel mode to school. Parents reported few concerns about pollution and little physician counseling on active travel.
Conclusion:
Few children with asthma actively travel to school. Asthma-specific concerns do not appear to guide parental decisions on travel mode to school.
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