Citation

Roth MA, Millett CJ, Mindell JS. Prev. Med. 2012; 54(2): 134-139.

Affiliation

Research Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, UCL, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.12.004

PMID

22182478

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the contribution of active travel to and from school to children's overall physical activity levels in England. METHOD: Logistic regression models examining associations between active travel (walked, or cycled, to/from school at least once in the last week) and achievement of physical activity recommendations (≥60min/d daily) in 4,468 children aged 5-15y (303 with valid accelerometry data) participating in the nationally-representative Health Survey for England 2008. RESULTS: The 64% of children who walked and the 3% who cycled to/from school were more active than the 33% who did neither. Typical walkers came from a deprived area and were less likely to have a limiting illness; typical cyclists were older, male, and most likely to meet the recommendations. For self-reported activity, time spent cycling to/from school contributed more to meeting the recommendations (OR1.31, 1.09-1.59) than time spent walking to/from school (OR1.08, 1.02-1.15) or in sports (OR1.17, 95% CI 1.14-1.20). Time spent walking to school (OR1.80, 1.41-2.30) and in sports (OR1.10, 1.01-1.20) were significantly associated with being in the highest tertile actigraph-measured activity. CONCLUSION: Children who reported walking or cycling to school were more active. Longitudinal studies are required to ascertain whether encouraging active travel affects less active children.

Language: en