title: Active transportation to support diabetes prevention: Expanding school health promotion programming in an Indigenous community.
abstract: School-based physical activity (PA) interventions, including school active transportation (AT), provide opportunities to increase daily PA levels, improves fitness, and reduces risk of diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. Based on a community-identified need, the Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project, within an Indigenous community, undertook school travel planning to contribute to PA programming for two elementary schools.
  
  
  
  Using community-based participatory research, the Active & Safe Routes to School's School Travel Planning (STP) process was undertaken in two schools with an STP-Committee comprised of community stakeholders and researchers. STP activities were adapted for local context including: school profile form, family survey, in-class travel survey, pedestrian-traffic observations, walkability checklist, and student mapping.
  
  
  
  STP data were jointly collected, analyzed and interpreted by researchers and community. Traffic-pedestrian observations, walkability and parent surveys identified key pedestrian-traffic locations, helped develop safe/direct routes, and traffic calming strategies. In-class travel and mapping surveys identified a need and student desire to increase school AT. The STP-Committee translated findings into STP-action plans for two schools, which were implemented in 2014-2015 school year.
  
  
  
  Combining CBPR with STP merges community and researcher expertise. This project offered evidence-informed practice for active living promotions. Experience and findings could benefit Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Alberta ​3-300 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405-87 Ave., Edmonton, AB T6G1C9, Canada; Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, 475 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H2W1S4, Canada. Electronic address: soultana@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Soultana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macridis
authors.affiliation: Participatory Research at McGill, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, 5858 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges, Suite 300, Montreal, QC H3S 1Z1, Canada.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garcia Bengoechea
authors.affiliation: Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project, P.O. Box 989, Kahnawake (via Quebec) J0L 1B0, Canada.
authors.forename: Alex M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: McComber
authors.affiliation: Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project, P.O. Box 989, Kahnawake (via Quebec) J0L 1B0, Canada.
authors.forename: Judi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: Participatory Research at McGill, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, 5858 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges, Suite 300, Montreal, QC H3S 1Z1, Canada.
authors.forename: Ann C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Macaulay
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008297:Male; D011792:Quebec; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Active transportation; Community-based participatory research; Diabetes prevention; Partnership; School health promotion