Citation

Johansson K, Hasselberg M, Laflamme L. Eur. J. Public Health 2012; 22(2): 209-214.

Affiliation

Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Division of Global Health/IHCAR, Nobels väg 9, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/eurpub/ckr042

PMID

21521708

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Active commuting to school by walking or cycling can have positive impact on children's health and development. The study investigates the prevalence of active commuting to school in Sweden, a setting where it is facilitated and promoted; and how active commuting varies according to socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics. METHODS: Self-reports from a national sample of Swedish children (11- to 15-year-olds, n = 4415) and a regional one from Stockholm County (13-year-olds, n = 1008) on transport to school were compared. The association that active commuting has with socio-demographic (gender, school grade, Swedish origin, type of housing, urbanicity in the local area), and socio-economic characteristics (household socio-economic status, family car ownership) was studied using logistic regression, controlling for car ownership and urbanicity, respectively. RESULTS: Active commuting was high (62.9% in the national sample) but decreased with age-76% at the age of 11 years, 62% at the age of 13 years and 50% at the age of 15 years-whereas public transport increased (19-43%). Living in an apartment or row-house (compared with detached house) and living in a medium-sized city (compared with a metropolitan area) was associated with active commuting. In urban areas, active commuting was more common in worker households compared with intermediate- to high-level salaried employees. CONCLUSION: Active commuting is common but decreases with age. Active commuting differed based on housing and urbanicity but not based on gender or Swedish origin, and impact of socio-economic factors differed depending on level of urbanicity.

Keywords: SR2S

Language: en