title: Which social support and psychological factors are associated to active commuting to school?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the association between self-efficacy, enjoyment, and volitional control with active commuting, as well as to analyze the impact of social support from parents, friends, and teachers with active commuting to school.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants in this cross-sectional study were 625 students (male: 46.3%) aged 10 to 15years from Porto, Portugal (2010/2011). A questionnaire was used to assess active commuting to/from school (walk/cycle), self-efficacy, enjoyment, volitional control and social support. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify significant associations between targeted variables and active commuting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show positive associations in crude analyses for all variables, except for enjoyment for walk/cycle to school. In the adjusted model, higher likelihood of active commuting was found among students who reported having higher self-efficacy (OR=2.10; CI95%: 1.07; 4.11) to walk/cycle to school as well as among adolescents who reported being encouraged by their parents (OR=3.66; CI95%: 1.55; 8.69), and having the partnership of friends in active journeys (OR=4.31; CI95%: 1.79; 10.37).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-efficacy, encouragement from parents and companionship from friends were important indicators of active commuting to school among Portuguese adolescents. These findings provide support for further research to identify and understand factors that predict and explain the active commuting.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre in Physical Activity and Health, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil. Electronic address: kelly.samara@ufsc.br.
authors.forename: Kelly Samara
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: anpizarro@fade.up.pt.
authors.forename: Andreia Nogueira
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Pizarro
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: leandromtg@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Leandro Martin Totaro
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: jmota@fade.up.pt.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.affiliation: Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: msantos@fade.up.pt.
authors.forename: Maria Paula
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001290:Attitude; D001642:Bicycling / Q000523:psychology / Q000639:trends; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011174:Portugal; D012574:Schools; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*; D016138:Walking / Q000523:psychology / Q000639:trends
keywords: Adolescents; Physical activity; Psychosocial factors; Self-efficacy; Social support; Walking