title: Factors influencing mode of transport in older adolescents: a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since a decline in activity levels occurs in adolescence, active transport could be important to increase daily physical activity in older adolescents (17-18 years). To promote active transport, it is necessary to be aware of the barriers and facilitators of this type of transport, but also of other transport modes. This study sought to uncover the factors influencing the choice of transport mode for short distance travel to various destinations in older adolescents using focus groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two focus group volunteers (mean age of 17 ± 1.2 years) were recruited from the two final years of the secondary school in Antwerp (Belgium). Five focus groups were conducted (five to eight participants/group). Content analysis was performed using NVivo 9 software (QSR International). Grounded theory was used to derive categories and subcategories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were categorized in three main themes with several subcategories: personal factors (high autonomy, low costs and health), social factors (good social support) and physical environmental factors (short travel time, good access to transport modes and to facilities, good weather, an adapted built environment, perceived safety and ecology).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For older adolescents, the interplay between short travel time, high autonomy, good social support, low costs, good access to transport modes and facilities, and good weather was important for choosing active transport over other transport forms for travelling short distances to various destinations. Other well-known factors such as safety, ecology and health seemed not to have a big influence on their transport mode choice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biometry and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, B 1050, Belgium. dsimons@vub.ac.be
authors.forename: Dorien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clarys
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors.forename: Bas
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Geus
authors.forename: Corneel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vandelanotte
authors.forename: Benedicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deforche
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001530:Belgium; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D013997:Time Factors; D014186:Transportation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D014887:Weather