title: Youth walking and biking rates vary by environments around 5 Louisiana schools.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of obesity in children is high, and many do not meet physical activity recommendations. The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program encourages school-aged children to walk and bike to school. We assessed the condition of the walking/biking environment around schools in Louisiana prior to the state's first SRTS program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Assessments were made at the neighborhood level with the Pedestrian Environmental Data Scan (PEDS) instrument, and at the school and individual levels using the National SRTS Center's teacher tallies and parent surveys. PEDS scores were developed to rate conduciveness to walking/bicycling of proposed SRTS routes. Sites' scores were compared with the percentage of students who walk/bike to school. Five schools in Louisiana were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, more students walked (range: 2.4-17.4%) than biked (range: 0.3-4.5%) to school with more students walking home than to school. Predictors of walking/biking to school include distance from school, speed of traffic, school encouragement, and if a student asked permission. Sites with the highest PEDS score had the highest percentage of students who walked/biked to school.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a role and a need for the SRTS program. The environment and other factors influence biking and walking to school.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Prevention Research Center, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2000, New Orleans, LA 70112.
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gustat
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Parker-Karst
authors.forename: Shalanda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cole
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001642:Bicycling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D004779:Environment Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005178:Faculty; D035082:Federal Government; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D010290:Parents; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students; D014481:United States; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: childhood obesity; environment design; physical activity; transportation