Changes in the percentage of students who walk or bike to school-United States, 1969 and 2001.
BACKGROUND
This report describes changes in the percentage of US students (age 5 to 18 years) who walked or bicycled to school and in the distance that they lived from or traveled to their school in 1969 and 2001 and travel patterns in 2001.


METHODS
Data were from the 1969 National Personal Transportation Survey report on school travel and the 2001 National Household Transportation Survey.


RESULTS
A smaller percentage of students lived within 1 mile of school in 2001 than in 1969. The percentage of students who walked or biked any distance decreased from 42.0% to 16.2%. Nearly half of students used more than 1 travel mode or went to an additional destination en route between home and school in 2001.


CONCLUSIONS
Multidisciplinary efforts are needed to increase the percentage of students who walk or bike to school, as well as decrease the distances that students travel.
Ham
Sandra A
SA
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Martin
Sarah
S
Kohl
Harold W
HW
D000293:Adolescent; D001642:Bicycling / Q000639:trends*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students; D014481:United States; D016138:Walking / Q000639:trends*