title: The effect of a school-based active commuting intervention on children's commuting physical activity and daily physical activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of a school-based intervention called Travelling Green (TG) on children's walking to and from school and total daily physical activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quasi-experiment with 166 Scottish children (8-9 years) was conducted in 2009. One group (n=79) received TG and another group (n=87) acted as a comparison. The intervention lasted 6 weeks and consisted of educational lessons and goal-setting tasks. Steps and MVPA (daily, a.m. commute, p.m. commute, and total commute) were measured for 5 days pre- and post-intervention using accelerometers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean steps (daily, a.m., p.m., and total commute) decreased from pre- to post-intervention in both groups (TG by 901, 49, 222, and 271 steps/day and comparison by 2528, 205, 120, and 325 steps/day, respectively). No significant group by time interactions were found for a.m., p.m., and total commuting steps. A medium (partial eta squared=0.09) and significant (p<0.05) group by time interaction was found for total daily steps. MVPA results were similar to step results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TG has a little effect on walking to and from school. However, for total daily steps and daily MVPA, TG results in a smaller seasonal decrease than for children who do not receive the intervention.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, 76 Southbrae Drive, Glasgow, Scotland G13 1PP, UK. david.mcminn@abdn.ac.uk
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McMinn
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: Shemane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murtagh
authors.forename: Norah M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy / Q000379:methods; D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D004282:Documentation; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012606:Scotland; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014186:Transportation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data