title: Insights into children's independent mobility for transportation cycling-Which socio-ecological factors matter?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the associations of socio-ecological factors with independent mobility for transportation cycling among 10-to-12-year-old boys and girls. Additionally, we examined whether associations differed across family socio-economic status (SES) and urbanization level.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents (n=1286) were recruited via 45 primary schools across Flanders, Belgium. They completed an online questionnaire assessing demographic and psychosocial factors, neighborhood environmental perceptions, as well as some characteristics of their child. Independent mobility was assessed as the distance children were allowed to cycle for transport without adult supervision. Multilevel gamma regression analyses stratified by gender were performed to examine the associations between the independent variables and children's independent mobility and the moderating effects of family SES and urbanization level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Independent mobility was higher among boys compared to girls. Perception of children's cycling and traffic skills and children's grade were positively associated with independent mobility among boys and girls. Perceptions of neighborhood traffic safety were positively associated with independent mobility among girls, but not among boys. Perceptions of cycling skills were positively associated with independent mobility among boys living in high urbanized areas, but not in low urbanized areas. Parental cycling for transport was negatively associated with independent mobility among girls with a low family SES, but not among girls with a high family SES.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that interventions targeting increases in children's cycling and traffic skills may be effective to increase independent mobility. Few differences in associations were found according to children's gender, family SES or urbanization level.
authors: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium; Department of Physical Activity, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium; Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Belgium. Electronic address: ariane.Ghekiere@ugent.be.
authors: Ariane
authors: A
authors: Ghekiere
authors: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium; Department of Physical Activity, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. Electronic address: benedicte.deforche@ugent.be.
authors: Benedicte
authors: B
authors: Deforche
authors: Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Science, Deakin University, Australia.
authors: Alison
authors: A
authors: Carver
authors: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors: Lieze
authors: L
authors: Mertens
authors: Human Physiology Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.
authors: Bas
authors: B
authors: de Geus
authors: Department of Physical Activity, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Clarys
authors: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors: Greet
authors: G
authors: Cardon
authors: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors: Ilse
authors: I
authors: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium; Department of Physical Activity, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium; Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), Belgium. Electronic address: jelle.vancauwenberg@ugent.be.
authors: Jelle
authors: J
authors: Van Cauwenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001642:Bicycling; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014186:Transportation; D014507:Urbanization
keywords: Active transport; Built environment; Cycling for transport; Perception; Physical activity; Socio-ecological model