Active transport

Background: The Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), introduced in Central London in April 2019, aims to enhance air quality and improve public health. Purpose: To assess the impacts of the ULEZ on active travel to school after one year Methods: The Children’s Health in London and Luton study is a prospective parallel cohort study of ethnically diverse children, aged 6-9 years attending 84 primary schools within or with catchment areas encompassing London’s ULEZ (intervention) and Luton (control) with baseline (2018/19) and one-year follow-up (2019/20). Children reported their travel mode to school at (n=1992, 58%). Multilevel logistic regressions were performed to analyse associations between the introduction of the ULEZ and the likelihood of switching from inactive to active travel modes, and vice-versa. Interactions by age, sex, ethnicity, distance to school, and car ownership also explored. Results: Among children who took inactive modes at baseline, 42% of children in London and 20% of children in Luton switched to active modes. For children taking active modes at baseline, 5% of children in London and 21% of children in Luton switched to inactive modes. Relative to the controls, children in London were more likely to have switched from inactive to active modes (OR 3.64, 95% CI 1.21-10.92). Children in London were also less likely to switch from active to inactive modes (OR 0.11, 0.05-0.24). Children living further from school were more likely to switch from inactive to active modes compared to those living closer. Conclusions: Implementation of clean air zones can increase uptake of active travel to school and was particularly associated with more sustainable and active travel in children living further from school. Practical implications: These results underline the dual benefits of car restriction policies for reducing pollution and promoting active travel among children in London. Funding: NIHR PHR; MRC; Cambridge Trust

Background: In Aotearoa/New Zealand, there is government directive and community support to focus on health equity in research and health promotion. Culturally responsive policies, and services are expected. Purpose: This research describes Māori and Pacific adolescents’ perceptions of different modes of transport to school (walking, cycling, busing and being driven/driving). Methods: This study analysed online survey data from 2,991 adolescents and focus groups data involving 13 Māori and 10 Pacific adolescents collected in Dunedin, New Zealand as part of the BEATS Research Programme between 2014-2022. Adolescents self-reported how they travelled to school and their perceptions of walking, cycling, busing and car travel to school. Perceptions of different ethnic groups were compared using binary logistic regression and ordinal regression to control for potential confounders. Thematic analysis of focus groups data was conducted by researchers with a Māori world view. Results: Overwhelmingly, adolescents across all ethnic groups had similar perceptions of walking, cycling, busing and being driven/driving to school. Nuances for Māori and Pacific adolescents included attitudes (Māori) and logistical barriers for walking to school, convenience of being driven (Māori), safety concerns for busing to school (Pacific), adolescents’ (Māori) and parental (Pacific) preference for being driven/driving to school and driver’s license cost as a barrier. Conclusions: A whole-of-population approach to policy would be sufficient when combined with good quality overarching cultural responsiveness imbedded to support equity for Māori and Pacific adolescents. Practical implications: This research focused on describing rather than comparing perceptions between different ethnic groups through a deficit lens (which is commonplace) to enable considerations of equitable approaches to policy, and initiatives for active school travel. Funding: Health Research Council of New Zealand (19/173; 14/565), National Heart Foundation of New Zealand (1602; 1615), Lottery Health Research Grant (Applic 341129), University of Otago (UORG 2014) and Dunedin City Council.

Background: Active school transportation (AST), including walking or cycling, is a common practice across India contributing to physical activity accumulation among children and youth. However, as climate change and severe heat waves exacerbate poor air quality, it is important to understand air pollution’s impact on AST. Purpose: This study aimed to examine the association between perceptions of air pollution and AST among children and youth in both rural and urban India. Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study was conducted during the Coronavirus disease lockdown in India in 2021. The study implemented a multi-stage stratified random sampling method involving urban and rural schools in five Indian states across 28 different cities and villages. Using online surveys, children and youth (N=1042) self-reported information on various sociodemographic, environmental, and behavioral factors, including perception of air pollution and AST. Multivariable logistic regression models were conducted adjusting for age, gender, location, and socioeconomic status. Results: The perception of air pollution was associated with a lower likelihood of engaging in AST in the 5- to 12-year age group, but not in the 13- to 17-year age group. Similarly, males and rural residents who perceived air pollution were less likely to engage in AST; however, this association was not found in females or urban residents. Conclusions: This is the first study in India to explore the relationship between air pollution perceptions and AST across rural and urban cohorts, with the findings highlighting varied impacts of air pollution on cycling and walking among children and youth. Practical Implications: Child and youth perceptions of air pollution can not only inform the design of targeted AST interventions considering sociodemographic differences among Indian children and youth, but also enable public health advisories for air quality and safe outdoor activity. Funding: This research was supported by the Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute.

Background: Active travel is a pro-environmental behaviour that can make a significant contribution to overall physical activity. However, rates of active travel are low among Australian adults and children. Environmental self-identity (seeing oneself as the kind of person who acts in environmentally friendly ways) could be an important influence on sustainable travel choices. Aim: To examine associations between environmental self-identity among caregivers and their own and their child’s travel behaviours. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 228 caregivers of primary school children. Caregivers reported their own travel behaviour using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and their child’s usual school travel behaviour. Caregiver environmental self-identity was computed from three items. Linear regression predicted associations between caregiver environmental self-identity and frequency (days/week) of motorised travel, and walking and cycling for travel among caregivers (adjusted for age, gender, area-level SES), and frequency of school travel (trips/week) by private vehicle, walking and cycling among children (adjusted for child age and gender, area-level SES, distance to school). Results: On average, caregivers travelled by motorised transport 5.9 (SD 1.8), by walking 2.7 (SD 2.5) and by cycling 0.5 (SD 1.3) days/week. Children travelled to/from school by private vehicle 4.9 (SD 3.9), by walking 1.9 (SD 3.2) and by cycling 0.3 (SD 1.2) times/week. Mean caregiver environmental self-identity score was 4.5 (SD 1.3). There was a positive association between environmental self-identity and frequency of walking (b=0.2, 95%CI:-0.0-0.5, p=0.09) and cycling (b=0.2 95%CI:0.1-0.3, p=0.003) among caregivers. Among children, there was a negative association between caregiver environmental self-identity and frequency of children’s travel to/from school by private vehicle (b=-0.3, 95%CI:-0.7-0.05, p=0.083). Conclusion: There was some evidence that caregiver environmental self-identity shaped their own and their child’s travel behaviour in favour of more sustainable travel. Appealing to environmental concerns may be a promising way to promote sustainable transport. Funding: No external funding

Background: The current educational law in Spain incorporates the promotion of active commuting (i.e., walking and cycling) among scholars. Nevertheless, there is a low rate of cycling to school in Spanish youth (0,2%). Purpose: The objective is to analyse the effects of a school-based intervention in Physical Education to promote cycling among adolescents. Methods: It is a cluster-randomized controlled trial including 177 adolescents (14-15 years) belonging to 8 schools from 4 Spanish cities. A school-based intervention was implemented during 4 Physical Educations lessons. The measures were: satisfaction with the intervention, cycling skills and knowledge, mode of commuting to/from school, the basic psychological needs satisfaction, and the perceived barriers to active commuting to school. Results: There was a high satisfaction with the school-based intervention, an appropriate developing of the cycling skills and an improvement in the cycling knowledge. In addition, there was a significant decrease on the perceived skill to walk and cycle (p<0.05), and an increase on the perceived barriers to active commuting to school (p<0.05). There were no changes in the mode of commuting to/from school. Conclusion: The school-based intervention did not increase cycling to/from school. However, the intervention group increased the awareness of the complexity of cycling skills and the perceived barriers to active commuting, compared to the control group. Practical implications: School-based interventions to promote cycling as a usual mode of commuting should be implemented in longer periods of time, through the design of a global programme along the entire school age range (i.e., from 3 to 18 years old). Furthermore, the school, family, and community involvement may guarantee positive and long-term behaviour changes. Funding: The Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and European Regional Development (DEP2016-75598-R, MINECO/FEDER, UE), the MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 (PID2021.126126OA.I00.) and “FEDER” (European Union) (Plan Propio de Investigación 2023, Universidad de Granada).

Background: Walking/biking to everyday destinations is promoted as a mechanism to increase physical activity levels in children. Studies with greater geographic and racial/ethnic diversity are needed to confirm this relationship in diverse groups. Purpose: To determine whether street connectivity was associated with walking/biking in children in 130 communities across the United States (US). Methods: This study included over 4,000 children aged 4-15 with diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds. Children (or their parent/guardian depending on their age) reported whether they walked/biked to school, walked/biked to other places (e.g., store), or walked/biked for fun or exercise in the past week. Nine attributes of street connectivity were calculated using US Census TIGER files within a 1km buffer of the child’s residence. These nine components were reduced via principal components analysis (PCA). Logistic models that controlled for community clustering and important covariates were undertaken. Results: Two principal components accounted for 89% of the total variance. The first component (PCA 1) represented density and connectedness while the second component (PCA 2) represented block size. Children with higher scores on PCA 1 were more likely to walk/bike to or from school and to walk/bike to or from the store, park, playground or friend’s house (both p<.001). Children who lived in neighborhoods with higher scores on PCA 2 were less likely to walk/bike to or from school (p<.01). Neither PCA component was associated with walking, biking, scootering, skateboarding or skating for fun or exercise. Conclusions: Active transport in a diverse group of US children was associated with greater street connectivity/density and smaller block size. Walking for fun or exercise was not associated with these characteristics. Practical implications: Designing well-connected, dense communities may help to address low and declining rates of active transport in children in the US. Funding: Funded by the National Institutes of Health (R01HL137731 and HHSN268201000041C).