Increasing active travel to school: are we on the right track? A cluster randomised controlled trial from Sydney, Australia.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of a program to increase walking to and from school.


METHODS
A cluster randomised controlled trial.


METHODS
24 primary public schools in inner west Sydney, Australia.


METHODS
1996 students aged 10-12 years and their parents.


METHODS
A two-year multi-component program included classroom activities, development of school Travel Access Guides, parent newsletters and improving environments with local councils.


METHODS
Two measures were used: a survey completed by students on how they travelled to and from school over five days, and a survey completed by their parents on how their child travelled to and from school in a usual week.


RESULTS
The percentage of students who walked to and from school increased in both the intervention and control schools. Data from parent surveys found that 28.8% of students in the intervention group increased their walking, compared with 19% in the control group (a net increase of 9.8%, p=0.05). However this effect was not evident in the student data.


CONCLUSIONS
The study produced a mixed result, with a high variation in travel patterns from school to school. Intervention research should address the complexity of multiple factors influencing student travel to school with a focus on changing local environments and parents' travel to work.
Health Promotion Service, Sydney South West Area Health Service Level 9, King George V Building, Missenden Road, Camperdown NSW 2050 Australia. lmwen@email.cs.nsw.gov.au
Li Ming
LM
Wen
Denise
D
Fry
Dafna
D
Merom
Chris
C
Rissel
Helen
H
Dirkis
Angela
A
Balafas
D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D009517:New South Wales; D010290:Parents; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D014195:Travel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*