School travel and children’s physical activity: a cross-sectional study examining the influence of distance

BMC Public Health

Raktim Mitra¹  Bonny Wong³  Ron Buliung²  Michelle Stone⁴  Guy Faulkner³ 

[1] School of Urban and Regional Planning, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada;Department of Geography and Program in Planning, University of Toronto, 100 St.George St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 2W6, Canada;Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, 55 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2W6, Canada;School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, 6230 South Street, PO Box 15000, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada

关键词: Children;    Accelerometry;    Built environment;    Active travel;   

Others  :  1161458
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-13-1166

 received in 2013-03-06, accepted in 2013-12-06,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Walking to school is associated with higher levels of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between school travel mode and physical activity using a sampling frame that purposefully locates schools in varying neighbourhoods.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey of 785 children (10.57 ± 0.7 years) in Toronto, Canada. Physical activity was measured by accelerometry and travel mode was self-reported by parents. Linear regression models accounting for school clustering effects examined the associations between mode choice, BMI, and physical activity and were estimated adjusting for age, types of neighbourhoods and travel distance to school.

Results

Significant associations between walking to school and moderate activity during weekdays were found. Interactions between walking to school and travel distance to school were found only in boys with significant associations between walking to school and higher physical activity levels in those living within 1000–1600 meters from school. Boys walking to school and living in this range accumulated 7.6 more minutes of daily MVPA than boys who were driven.

Conclusions

Walking to school can make a modest but significant contribution to overall physical activity. This contribution was modified by travel distance and not school neighbourhood socioeconomic status or the built environment.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Faulkner et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

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