Regular active commuting by walking/cycling can help maintain an active lifestyle. The frequency, duration and correlates of school active commuting were examined for primary school children in NSW, Australia. Walking/cycling - only and in combination with bus/car were of short duration (median 7 or 4 min, respectively) and their frequency dropped within a short distance (40.75 km) from school. Apart from distance, child’s age, school affiliation and perceived safety, regular walking/cycling (10 trips, 22%) was associated with parents’ travel mode to work and with father taking the child to school. Frequent walking/cycling (X5 trips, 37%) was associated with child’s level of independence and the perceived benefits of active commuting. Behaviour change in this setting requires multi-level strategies. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting