Family Car Ownership: Driving Inactivity in Young People? Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses in the...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Environmental Health
• Physical Activity Research

Background:

• Household car ownership is widespread and may influence children's physical activity and health.
• Understanding the relationship between car access and children's sedentary time and physical activity is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between household car ownership and children's daily sedentary time (SED) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

Main Methods:

• Utilized pooled cohort data from the International Children's Accelerometry Database.
• Measured average daily SED and MVPA using accelerometers.
• Employed multivariable mixed-effects linear regression to analyze associations between household car ownership (none, 1, ≥2 cars) and changes in ownership with SED and MVPA.

Main Results:

• Cross-sectionally, higher car ownership was linked to increased SED and decreased MVPA in children.
• These associations were more pronounced in boys and children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Longitudinally, reductions in household car ownership (specifically losing a second car) were associated with a significant decrease in MVPA, but not SED.

Conclusions:

• Children in households with cars are more sedentary and less active.
• Reduced access to a second car correlated with greater declines in physical activity, possibly due to diminished access to activity-promoting environments.
• While reducing car access is a public health goal, strategies must consider and mitigate potential negative impacts on children's physical activity levels.