Associations among individual, social, and environmental barriers and children's walking or cycling to school.
OBJECTIVE
To examine associations among individual, social, and environmental barriers and children's walking or cycling to school.


METHODS
Exploratory cross-sectional study.


METHODS
All eight capital cities in Australia. SUBJECTS. Parents (N=720) of school-aged children (4-13 years; 27% response rate; 49% parents of boys).


METHODS
Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for parental reporting of barriers to their children's walking or cycling to school, based on a computer-assisted telephone interview.


RESULTS
Forty-one percent of children walked or cycled to school at least once per week. Multivariable analyses found inverse associations with individual ("child prefers to be driven" [OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.3-0.6], "no time in the mornings" [OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3-0.8]); social ("worry child will take risks" [OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.3-0.9], "no other children to walk with" [OR = 0.7, 95% CI = 0.4-0.99], "no adults to walk with" [OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.4-0.9]); and environmental barriers ("too far to walk" [OR = 0.1, 95% CI = 0.0-0.1], "no direct route" [OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.2-0.7]) and positive associations with "concern child may be injured in a road accident" (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.1-3.1) and active commuting.


CONCLUSIONS
Working with parents, schools, and local authorities to improve pedestrian skills and environments may help to overcome barriers.
Salmon
Jo
J
Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood Vic 3125, Australia. jo.salmon@deakin.edu.au
Salmon
Louisa
L
Crawford
David A
DA
Hume
Clare
C
Timperio
Anna
A
D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012574:Schools; D012931:Social Environment; D014186:Transportation; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology