title: Critical environmental factors for transportation cycling in children: a qualitative study using bike-along interviews.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Environmental factors are found to influence transport-related physical activity, but have rarely been studied in relation with cycling for transport to various destinations in 10-12 yr old children. The current qualitative study used 'bike-along interviews' with children and parents to allow discussion of detailed environmental factors that may influence children's cycling for transport, while cycling in the participant's neighborhood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Purposeful convenience sampling was used to recruit 35 children and one of their parents residing in (semi-) urban areas. Bike-along interviews were conducted to and from a randomly chosen destination (e.g. library) within a 15 minutes' cycle trip in the participant's neighborhood. Participants wore a GoPro camera to objectively assess environmental elements, which were subsequently discussed with participants. Content analysis and arising themes were derived using a grounded theory approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The discussed environmental factors were categorized under traffic, urban design, cycling facilities, road design, facilities at destination, aesthetics, topography, weather, social control, stranger danger and familiar environment. Across these categories many environmental factors were (in)directly linked to road safety. This was illustrated by detailed discussions of the children's visibility, familiarity with specific traffic situations, and degree of separation, width and legibility of cycle facilities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Road safety is of major concern in this 10-12 yr old study population. Bike-along interviews were able to identify new, detailed and context-specific physical environmental factors which could inform policy makers to promote children's cycling for transport. However, future studies should investigate whether hypothetical changes to such micro environmental features influence perceptions of safety and if this in turn could lead to changes in children's cycling for transport.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biometry and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghekiere
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biometry and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Cauwenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bas
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Geus
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biometry and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clarys
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Greet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardon
authors.affiliation: Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Science, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biometry and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Benedicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deforche
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002947:Cities; D004777:Environment; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012449:Safety; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*