title: Associations among individual, social, and environmental barriers and children's walking or cycling to school.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood Vic 3125, Australia. jo.salmon@deakin.edu.au
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hume
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Timperio
mesh_terms: 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