title: Influence of area deprivation and perceived neighbourhood safety on active transport to school among urban Quebec preadolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examines associations between area deprivation and perceived neighbourhood safety with active transport to school among preadolescents living in urban Quebec.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 809 preadolescents aged 9 to 13 years and one each of their parents living in urban Quebec were recruited by a polling firm for a telephone interview about the Opération WIXX multimedia communication campaign. Opération WIXX was launched in 2012 by Québec en forme to promote physical activity among preadolescents. Logistic regression models predicted active transportation to school (as reported by both the child and his or her parent) from area-level material and social deprivation and from parental and children's perceptions of neighbourhood safety while controlling for socio-demographic variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Child and parental reports of active commuting to school were highly concordant (Kendall's tau=0.70, p&lt;0.001). Children whose parents felt at ease to let their children actively commute to school (OR=1.75, 95% CI 1.25-2.45; p=0.001) and who lived in areas characterized by the highest material (OR=2.02, 95% CI 1.09-3.76; p=0.026) and social (OR=3.69, 95% CI 2.12-6.42; p&lt;0.001) deprivation were more likely to report actively commuting to school. Parents who felt at ease to let their children actively commute to school (OR=1.60, 95% CI 1.15-2.21; p=0.005) and who lived in neighbourhoods characterized by a higher social deprivation (OR=1.70, 95% CI 1.04-2.79; p=0.036, OR=2.01, 95% CI 1.23-3.29; p=0.006, OR=2.72, 95% CI 1.59-4.63; p&lt;0.001) were more likely to report that their child actively commuted to school.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Active commuting to school is associated with parental perceptions of safety and area deprivation.
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche du CHUM, Département de médecine sociale et préventive, École de santé publique, Université de Montréal. nicoleta.cutumisu@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Nicoleta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cutumisu
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bélanger-Gravel
authors.forename: Marilie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laferté
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lagarde
authors.forename: Jean-Frédéric
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lemay
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gauvin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011792:Quebec; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012449:Safety; D012574:Schools; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014186:Transportation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Active transport; children; deprivation; perceived safety