Active Commuting: Prevalence, Barriers, and Associated Variables

Abstract

Background:Research has demonstrated that adolescents who actively commute have higher levels of physical activity (PA), which have declined precipitously over the past 30 years. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of active commuting to school; and to identify barriers associated with active commuting.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1672 students (46.8% boys and 53.2% girls) from 11 to 17 years of age in Caxias do Sul/RS, Brazil. The students were asked to answer questionnaires about active transport, PA, and sedentary behaviors. They also completed a cardiovascular fitness test and body composition measurements. The study used a multivariate Poisson regression analysis.Results:A total of 62.5% of students were observed to actively commute and the prevalence ratio (PR) of not actively commuting was associated with the type of school (Private: 2.41; 1.47, 3.95) and the time spent on commuting (>20 min: 1.93; 1.23, 3.03). The associated barriers to passive commuting were distance (3.02; 1.95, 4.71), crime/ danger (2.65; 1.82, 3.85), and traffic (1.75; 1.19, 2.58).Conclusions:This study showed that environmental variables were strongly associated with active commuting. However, no alterations in body composition or other behavioral variables were observed after adjustment.

Perceived barriers for active commuting to school among adolescents from Curitiba, Brazil

“…However, the evidence on the barriers to active commuting in adolescents is just beginning to emerge and only few studies have been conducted in low and middle-income countries, specifically in the Latin America region 10 . In fact, to this date only three studies have been conducted in Latin America [11][12][13] and found that active commuting to school was associated with gender (boys), age (12-16 years old), place of residence (urban), travel time (<15 minutes) and family income (<R$1,000) 5,6 . To this date only one study explored correlates perception with active commuting in Brazilian adolescents 13 and showed that active commuting was lower among students of private schools, those who spent >20 minutes to commute, and those that spent more time watching television.…”

CIAFIS – Congresso Internacional de Atividade Física, Nutrição e Saúde

“…Da Silva et al, (2011), apontaram que esta população quando fisicamente ativa tendem a apresentar melhora na força, notadamente em membros inferiores em relação àqueles que não praticam exercícios físicos, explicando o fato dos sujeitos submetidos a treino de força e ginástica terem apresentado diferenças em relação ao grupo controle. Corroborando com estes achados, Rabelo et al, (2004), encontraram maior força nos membros inferiores em relação àqueles que não praticam exercícios físicos, explicando o fato dos sujeitos submetidos a treino de força e ginás-tica terem apresentado diferenças em relação ao grupo controle.…”

Time spent by Brazilian students in different modes of transport going to school: changes over a decade (2001-2011)

“…Many factors were investigated, including traffic and neighborhood aesthetics; however, the distance from home to school remained the main determinant of active commuting 10 . In a previous study of Brazilian adolescents, the distance, crime/safety concerns and traffic were associated with passive commuting 11 . These factors may partially explain the rise in the use of motorized transport for short trips found in our study.…”