Prevalence and factors associated with active transportation to school for adolescents

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To verify the prevalence and factors associated with active transportation to school (ATS) among Brazilian adolescents attending public schools. METHODS: Crossectional study with a representative sample of 1,984 adolescents (55.9% girls). Sociodemographic variables included were: gender, age, parental schooling, and socioeconomic status. Psychosocial factors included were: social support from parents and friends for physical activity. Walking, cycling, or skateboarding to school were considered models of active transportation. Binary logistic regression models verified sociodemographic and psychosocial factors association with ATS, adopting p < 0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of active transportation to school was 37.7% (16.2% boys and 21.5% girls). For boys, ATS was associated with: social support from parents in practicing physical activity together as a family (OR = 1.57; 95%CI 1.09–2.25), giving them rides (OR = 1.56; 95%CI 1.04–2.32), and remarking their good performance on it (OR = 1.73; CI95 1.08–2.76); as well as the social support from friends in practicing physical activity together (OR = 2.23; 95%CI 1.35–3.69). For girls, the likelihood of using ATS increased with age (OR = 1.43; 95%CI 1.06–1.92) and having friends who practice physical activity together with them (OR = 1.48, 95%CI 1.04–2.10). CONCLUSION: Age and social support for physical activity were associated with ATS. Parents who practice together, give rides, and remark on physical activities increase the likelihood of adolescent boys using ATS. Social support from friends to physical activity increased the likelihood of both genders using ATS.

Correlates of Active Commuting to School among Portuguese Adolescents: An Ecological Model Approach

“…The results show a 36.5% prevalence of AC to school. These results are similar to the 37.5% of Brazilian adolescents [ 43 ] but lower than the 54.3% of the Chinese adolescents [ 18 ]. At the national level, these results are in line with those of previous Portuguese HBSC studies (e.g., 35% in Loureiro et al [ 44 ]).…”

“…Regarding age, we identified that AC has a higher probability to be performed more often by older adolescents. Age is an important moderator for adolescent AC since older adolescents may have fewer personal safety concerns due to greater autonomy and less dependence on parents [ 46 ], especially in the case of girls [ 43 ]. Furthermore, they have less parental control, which significantly contributes to the adolescents’ decisions about AC [ 47 ].…”

Active Transportation to School. Utopia or a Strategy for a Healthy Life in Adolescence

“…It is also associated with a better cardiometabolic health profile [ 10 ]. There are also other aspects that are increasingly important in modern society, such as economic and social issues and the ecological co-benefits [ 11 , 12 ]. From an educational perspective, AT stimulated at an early age [ 13 ] can help consolidate this behavior throughout life [ 14 ].…”

Factors associated with active commuting to school in adolescents Autores/as

“…The performance of active transportation contributes decisively to compliance with PA recommendations in adolescents, both in intensity and frequency (Kek et al, 2019). In this sense, the performance of PA shared with parents and greater social support of this activity, are key factors capable of predicting the frequency of active transportation by adolescents (Camargo et al, 2020). Similarly, greater enjoyment of PA also seems to contribute significantly to the likelihood of making active trips to school (Wang et al, 2017).…”