Evaluation of a walking school bus for promoting physical activity in youth.
BACKGROUND
Walking to and from school has potential to increase daily physical activity among children.


METHODS
A Walking School Bus (WSB) intervention was implemented for 2 years in 2 schools with a third school as a control. The primary aim evaluated school-wide prevalence of walking to school by self-report 6 times (fall, winter, spring). The secondary aims compared objective physical activity levels among a subsample of research participants (intervention [INT] = 201, control [CON] = 123) and between frequency of walking to school groups. INT and CON participants wore an accelerometer during 4 time periods to assess daily physical activity and were measured for body mass index (BMI) and body fat each fall and spring.


RESULTS
School-wide prevalence of walking to school frequently (> 50% of the time each week) was 27% higher in the WSB schools than in the control school. INT obtained significantly more daily physical activity than CON (78.0 [38.9] vs 60.6 [27.7] min/d, P < .05). In addition, across all schools, frequent walkers obtained 25% more physical activity (P < .05), gained 58% less body fat (P < .05), and attenuated BMI by 50% (P < .05) compared with passive commuters.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests a WSB intervention may increase frequency of walking to school and establishes a link with increased daily physical activity.
Heelan
Kate A
KA
Human Performance Laboratory, University of Nebraska at Kearney, USA.
Abbey
Bryce M
BM
Donnelly
Joseph E
JE
Mayo
Matthew S
MS
Welk
Gregory J
GJ
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods; D012574:Schools; D016138:Walking