Six-year trend in active commuting to school in Spanish adolescents. The AVENA and AFINOS Studies.
BACKGROUND
Promoting daily routine activities, such as active commuting to school, may have important health implications for young people.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to examine the secular trend of active commuting to school in Spanish adolescents over a 6-year period (2001-2002 to 2006-2007). We also examined several factors that might explain this trend.


METHODS
Data comes from two separate cross-sectional studies, both representatives from the city of Madrid (Spain): AVENA and AFINOS studies. These took place in 2001-2002 and 2006-2007 and included 415 (198 girls) and 891 (448 girls) adolescents aged 13-17, respectively. Commuting to school was assessed using a standardized question about their habitual mode of transportation to school: walking, cycling, bus/subway, car, or motorcycle. Chi-square and binary logistic regression were used.


RESULTS
Percentage of active commuting girls decreased significantly from 61 % to 48 % (p = 0.002) from 2001-2002 to 2006-2007. Walking declined from 61 % to 46 % and the use of bus/subway increased from 25 % to 37 % in girls. Girls belonging to average/small families had lower odds of being active commuters than girls of large families (OR, 95 % CI: 0.69, 0.48 to 0.98). There were no significant differences in mode of commuting to school for boys (p = 0.269).


CONCLUSIONS
Spanish adolescent girls in 2007-2008 had lower levels of active commuting to school, mainly walking, than their counterparts 6 years before. Belonging to a large family was related with higher active commuting in girls.
Department of Physical Education and Sport, School of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, University of Granada (Departamento de Educación Física y Deportiva, Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte, Universidad de Granada), Ctra Alfacar, s/n, 18001, Granada, Spain, pchillon@ugr.es.
Palma
P
Chillón
David
D
Martínez-Gómez
Francisco B
FB
Ortega
Isaac J
IJ
Pérez-López
Ligia E
LE
Díaz
Ana M
AM
Veses
Oscar L
OL
Veiga
Ascensión
A
Marcos
Manuel
M
Delgado-Fernández
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001642:Bicycling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000517:prevention & control; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D050177:Overweight / Q000517:prevention & control; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014186:Transportation; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*