title: The association between physical environment and cycling to school among Turkish and Moroccan adolescents in Amsterdam.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the effect of physical environment on cycling to and from school among boys and girls of Turkish and Moroccan origin living in Amsterdam.
  
  
  METHODS
  The LASER study (n = 697) was an interview study that included information on cycling to and from school and the perceived physical environment. Objective information on physical environment was gathered from Statistics Netherlands and the Department for Research and Statistics at the Municipality of Amsterdam. Structural equation modelling with latent variables was applied, taking into account age, gender, self-assessed health, education, country of origin, and distance to school.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For every unit increase in the latent variable scale for bicycle-friendly infrastructure, we observed a 21% increase in the odds for cycling to and from school. The association was only borderline statistically significant and disappeared after controlling for distance to school. The enjoyable environment was not associated with cycling to and from school after controlling for all background factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bicycle-friendly infrastructure and an enjoyable environment were not important factors for cycling to and from school among those with no cultural cycling background.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, tomi.maki-opas@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Tomi E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Mäki-Opas
authors.forename: Jeroen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Munter
authors.forename: Jolanda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maas
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: den Hertog
authors.forename: Anton E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kunst
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001642:Bicycling / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009018:Morocco / Q000208:ethnology; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D012574:Schools; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology; D014505:Urban Population; D016138:Walking / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*