A cross-sectional examination of socio-demographic and school-level correlates of children’s school travel mode in Ottawa, Canada

BMC Public Health

Mark S Tremblay¹  Michael M Borghese²  Allana G LeBlanc²  Priscilla Bélanger²  Charles Boyer²  Geneviève Leduc²  Jean-Philippe Chaput¹  Richard Larouche² 

[1] Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada;Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Room R242, Ottawa, ON K1H 8 L1, Canada

关键词: Built environment;    School policies;    Social ecological models;    Safe routes to school;    Active travel;   

Others  :  1130360
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-14-497

 received in 2014-02-20, accepted in 2014-05-14,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Active school transport (AST) is an important source of children’s daily physical activity (PA). However, decreasing rates of AST have been reported in multiple countries during the last decades. The purpose of the present study was to examine the socio-demographic and school-level correlates of AST.

Methods

A stratified sample of children (N = 567, mean age = 10.0 years; 57.8% female) was recruited in the Ottawa area. Four sources of data were used for analyses: 1) child questionnaire including questions on school travel mode and time; 2) parent questionnaire providing information on household socio-demographic characteristics; 3) school administrator survey assessing school policies and practices pertaining to PA; and 4) school site audit performed by the study team. Generalized linear mixed models were used to identify socio-demographic and school-level correlates of AST while controlling for school clustering.

Results

Individual factors associated with higher odds of AST were male gender (OR = 1.99; 95% CI = 1.30-3.03), journey time <5 minutes vs. >15 minutes (OR = 2.26; 95% CI = 1.17-4.37), and 5–15 minutes vs. >15 minutes (OR = 2.27; 95% CI = 1.27-4.03). Children were more likely to engage in AST if school administrators reported that crossing guards were employed (OR = 2.29; 95% CI = 1.22-4.30), or if they expressed major or moderate concerns about crime in the school neighbourhood (OR = 3.34; 95% CI = 1.34-8.32). In schools that identified safe routes to school and where traffic calming measures were observed, children were much more likely to engage in AST compared to schools without these features (OR = 7.87; 95% CI = 2.85-21.76). Moreover, if only one of these features was present, this was not associated with an increased likelihood of AST.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that providing crossing guards may facilitate AST. Additionally, there was a synergy between the identification of safe routes to school and the presence of traffic calming measures, suggesting that these strategies should be used in combination.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Larouche et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]Larouche R, Saunders T, Faulkner GEJ, Colley RC, Tremblay MS: Associations between active school transport and physical activity, body composition and cardiovascular fitness: a systematic review of 68 studies. J Phys Act Health 2014, 11(1):206-227.
• [2]Lubans DR, Boreham CA, Kelly P, Foster CE: The relationship between active travel to school and health-related fitness in children and adolescents: a systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2011., 8(5)
• [3]Cooper AR, Wedderkopp N, Wang N, Andersen LB, Froberg K, Page AS: Active travel to school and cardiovascular fitness in Danish children and adolescents. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2006, 38(10):1724-1731.
• [4]Larouche R, Faulkner GEJ, Fortier M, Tremblay MS: Active transportation and adolescents’ health: the Canadian Health Measures Survey. Am J Prev Med 2014, 46(5):507-515.
• [5]Martinez-Gomez D, Ruiz JR, Gomez-Martinez S, Chillon P, Rey-Lopez P, Diaz LE, Castillo R, Veiga OL, Marcos A, AVENA Study Group: Active commuting to school and cognitive performance in adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2011, 165(4):300-305.
• [6]Lambiase MJ, Barry HM, Roemmich JN: Effect of a simulated active commute to school on cardiovascular stress reactivity. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010, 42(8):1609-1616.
• [7]van der Ploeg HP, Merom D, Corpuz G, Bauman AE: Trends in Australian children traveling to school 1971–2003: burning petrol or carbohydrates? Prev Med 2008, 46(1):60-62.
• [8]Buliung RN, Mitra R, Faulkner G: Active school transportation in the Greater Toronto area, Canada: an exploration of trends in space and time (1986–2006). Prev Med 2009, 48(6):507-512.
• [9]Grize L, Bringolf-Isler B, Martin E, Braun-Farhländer C: Trend in active transportation to school among Swiss school children and its associated factors: three cross-sectional surveys 1994, 2000 and 2005. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2010, 7:28. BioMed Central Full Text
• [10]McDonald NC: Active commuting to school: trends among US schoolchildren 1969–2001. Am J Prev Med 2007, 32(6):509-516.
• [11]Chillón P, Evenson KR, Vaughn A, Ward DS: A systematic review of interventions for promoting active transportation to school. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2011., 8(10)
• [12]Mammen G, Stone MR, Faulkner G, Ramanathan S, Buliung R, O’Brien C, Kennedy J: Active school travel: an evaluation of the Canadian school travel planning intervention. Prev Med 2014, 60:55-59.
• [13]Panter JR, Jones AP, Van Sluijs EMF: Environmental determinants of active travel in youth: a review and framework for future research. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2008, 5:34. BioMed Central Full Text
• [14]Pont K, Ziviani J, Wadley D, Abbott R: The model of children’s active travel (M-CAT): A conceptual framework for examining factors influencing children’s active travel. Aust Occup Ther J 2011, 58:138-144.
• [15]Giles-Corti B, Timperio A, Bull F, Pikora T: Understanding physical activity environmental correlates: increased specificity for ecological models. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 2005, 33(4):175-181.
• [16]Sallis JF, Cervero RB, Ascher W, Hendersen KA, Kraft MK, Kerr J: An ecological approach to creating active living communities. Annu Rev Public Health 2006, 27:297-322.
• [17]Christiansen LB, Toftager M, Schipperijin J, Ersbøll AK, Giles-Corti B, Troelsen J: School site walkability and active school transport – association, mediation and moderation. J Transport Geogr 2014, 34:7-15.
• [18]Gropp K, Pickett W, Janssen I: Multi-level examination of correlates of active transportation to school among youth living within 1 mile of their school. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2012, 9:124. BioMed Central Full Text
• [19]Panter JR, Jones AP, Van Sluijs EMF, Griffin SJ: Neighborhood, route and school environments and children’s active commuting. Am J Prev Med 2010, 38(3):268-278.
• [20]Cerin E: Statistical approaches to testing the relationships of the built environment with resident-level physical activity behavior and health outcomes in cross-sectional studies with cluster sampling. J Plan Lit 2011, 26(2):151-167.
• [21]Katzmarzyk PT, Barreira TV, Broyles ST, Champagne CM, Chaput J-P, Fogelholm M, Hu G, Johnson WD, Kuriyan R, Kurpad A, Lambert EV, Maher C, Maia J, Matsudo V, Olds T, Onywera V, Sarmineto OL, Strandage M, Tremblay MS, Tudor-Locke C, Zhao P, Church TS: The international study of childhood obesity, lifestyle and the environment (ISCOLE): design and methods. BMC Public Health 2013, 13:900. BioMed Central Full Text
• [22]Statistics Canada: Focus on geography series, 2011 census. 2012. [http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-cma-eng.cfm?LANG=Eng&GK=CMA&GC=505 webcite]
• [23]Cameron R, Manske S, Brown KS, Jolin MA, Murnaghan D, Lovato C: Integrating public health policy, practice, evaluation, surveillance, and research: the school health action planning and evaluation system. Am J Public Health 2007, 97(4):648-654.
• [24]Kroeker C, Manske S: Pilot Phase of the 2007–2008 School Health Environment Survey: Technical Report. Waterloo, ON: Center for Behavioural Research and Program Evaluation, University of Waterloo; 2008.
• [25]Jones NR, Jones A, Van Sluijs EM, Panter J, Harrison F, Griffin SJ: School environments and physical activity: the development and testing of an audit tool. Health Place 2010, 16(5):776-783.
• [26]Wong BYM, Faulkner G, Buliung R: GIS measured environmental correlates of active school transport: A systematic review of 14 studies. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2011., 8(39)
• [27]Buliung RN, Faulkner G, Beesley T, Kennedy J: School travel planning: mobilizing school and community resources to encourage active school transportation. J Sch Health 2011, 81(11):704-712.
• [28]McDonald NC, Yang Y, Abbott SM, Bullock AN: Impact of the Safe Routes to School program on walking and biking: Eugene, Oregon study. Transport Policy 2013, 29:243-248.
• [29]Stewart O: Findings from research on active transportation to school and implications for Safe Routes to School programs. J Plan Lit 2011, 26(2):127-150.
• [30]Ding D, Sallis JF, Kerr JK, Lee S, Rosenberg DE: Neighborhood environment and physical activity among youth: a review. Am J Prev Med 2011, 41:442-455.
• [31]Hinckson EA, Garrett N, Duncan S: Active commuting to school in New Zealand Children (2004–2008): A quantitative analysis. Prev Med 2011, 52:332-336.
• [32]Rothman L, To T, Buliung R, Macarthur C, Howard A: Influence of social and built environment features on children walking to school: an observational study. Prev Med 2014, 60:10-15.
• [33]Chriqui JF, Taber DR, Slater SJ, Turner L, Lowrey KM, Chaloupka FJ: The impact of state safe routes to school-related laws on active travel to school policies and practices in U.S. elementary schools. Health Place 2012, 18(1):8-15.
• [34]Mendoza JA, Liu Y: Active commuting to elementary school and adiposity: an observational study. Child Obes 2014, 10(1):1-8.
• [35]Pabayo R, Gauvin L, Barnett TA, Morency P, Nikiéma B, Séguin L: Understanding the determinants of active transportation to school among children: evidence of environmental injustice from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Health Place 2012, 18(2):163-171.
• [36]Rossen LM, Pollack KM, Curriero FC, Shields TM, Smart MJ, Furr-Holden DM, Cooley-Strikland M: Neighborhood incivilities, perceived neighborhood safety, and walking to school among urban-dwelling children. J Phys Act Health 2011, 8(2):262-271.
• [37]Evenson KR, Huston SL, McMillen BJ, Bors P, Ward DS: Statewide prevalence and correlates of walking and bicycling to school. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2003, 157(9):887-892.
• [38]Pabayo R, Gauvin L, Barnett TA: Longitudinal changes in active transportation to school in Canadian youth aged 6 through 16 years. Pediatrics 2011, 128(2):e404-e413.
• [39]Torres J, Bussière Y, Lewis P: Primary schools` territorial policy and active commuting: institutional influences in Montréal and Trois-Rivières. J Urban Plann Dev 2010, 136(4):287-293.
• [40]Larouche R, Barnes J, Tremblay MS: Too far to walk or bike? Can J Public Health 2013, 104(7):e487-e489.
• [41]Henderson S, Tanner R, Klanderman N, Mattera A, Webb LM, Steward J: Safe Routes to School: a public health practice success story – Atlanta, 2008–2010. J Phys Act Health 2013, 10:141-142.
• [42]Fulton JE, Shisler JL, Yore MM, Caspersen CJ: Active transportation to school: Findings from a national survey. Res Q Exerc Sport 2005, 76:352-357.
• [43]McMillan T, Day K, Boarnet M, Alfonzo M, Anderson C: Johnny walks to school – does Jane? Sex differences in children’s active travel to school. Child Youth Environ 2006, 16(1):75-89.
• [44]McDonald NC: Is there a gender gap in school travel? An examination of US children and adolescents. J Transp Geogr 2012, 20:80-86.
• [45]Valentine G: “Oh yes I can.” “Oh no you can’t”: Children and parents’ understanding of kids’ competence to negotiate public space safely. Antipode 1997, 29:65-89.
• [46]Tranter P, Whitelegg J: Children’s travel behaviour in Canberra: car-dependent lifestyles in a low density city. J Transp Geogr 1994, 2:265-273.
• [47]Mackett R, Brown B, Gong Y: Children’s independent movement in the local environment. Built Environ 2007, 33:454-468.
• [48]Page AS, Cooper AR, Griew P: Independent mobility in relation to weekday and weekend physical activity in children aged 10–11 years: the PEACH project. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2009, 7:2.
• [49]Stone MR, Faulkner GEJ, Mitra R, Buliung RN: The freedom to explore: examining the influence of independent mobility on weekday, weekend and after-school physical activity behaviour in children living in urban and inner-suburban neighbourhoods of varying socio-economic status. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2014, 11:5. BioMed Central Full Text
• [50]Bere E, Bjorkelund LA: Test-retest reliability of a new self reported comprehensive questionnaire measuring frequencies of different modes of adolescents commuting to school and their parents commuting to work – the ATN questionnaire. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2009., 6(68)
• [51]Evenson KR, Neelon B, Ball SC, Vaughn A, Ward DS: Validity and reliability of a school travel survey. J Phys Act Health 2008, 5(Suppl 1):S1-S15.
• [52]Brug J, Van Stralen MM, Chinapaw MJM, De Bourdeaudhuij I, Lien N, Bere E, Singh AS, Maes L, Moreno L, Jan N, Kovacs E, Lobstein T, Manios Y, Te Velde SJ: Differences in weight status and energy-balance related behaviours according to ethnic background among adolescents in seven countries in Europe: the ENERGY project. Pediatr Obes 2012, 7:399-411.
• [53]Ducheyne F, De Bourdeaudhuij I, Lenoir M, Cardon G: Test-retest reliability and validity of a child and parental questionnaire on specific determinants of cycling to school. Pediatr Exerc Sci 2012, 24:289-311.
• [54]Singh AS, Vik FN, Chinapaw MJM, Uijtdewilligen L, Verloigne M, Fernandez-Alvera JM, Stomfai S, Manios Y, Martens M, Brug J: Test-retest reliability and construct validity of the ENERGY-child questionnaire on energy balance-related behaviours and their potential determinants: the ENERGY-project. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2011, 8:36. BioMed Central Full Text
• [55]Larouche R, Faulkner G, Tremblay MS: Correlates of active school travel immediately before and after the transition from primary to secondary school: a pilot-study. J Appl Res Children 2013., 4(2)
• [56]Mitra R, Buliung RN, Faulkner GEJ: Spatial clustering and the temporal mobility of walking school trips in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. Health Place 2010, 16(4):646-655.