Residential proximity to school and the active travel choices of parents.
OBJECTIVE
Walking for transport can contribute significantly to health-enhancing physical activity. We examined the prevalence and duration of walking to and from school, together with perceived influences on doing so, among parents of primary school children.


METHODS
Questionnaires were completed by parents from four primary schools (one government and three private) located in south-east Queensland (n=559; 40% response rate).


RESULTS
Eighteen per cent of parents reported walking for at least 10 minutes during journeys to school. Significantly greater proportions of parents with only one car in their household, with a child who attended a government school, with no driver's licence, who had less than 11 years of education, and lived within two kilometres of the school walked for at least 10 minutes during the school journey. Factors perceived by parents most strongly to influence walking to school were: being physically active; safety concerns for the child walking alone; not having to park; walking being the child's preferred option; too much motor vehicle traffic; and their child's age and level of road sense.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the overall low prevalence of walking to school by parents, health-enhancing benefits may be achieved even when other modes of transport are used in conjunction with walking.
Southern Area Population Health Services, Queensland Health, Southport, Queensland. rachel_cole@health.qld.gov.au
Rachel
R
Cole
Eva
E
Leslie
Maria
M
Donald
Ester
E
Cerin
Neville
N
Owen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011793:Queensland; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012574:Schools; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data