Speaker
Description
Driven mainly by the international decline in walking rates and the recognised health benefits of social and physical activity, research into children's active commuting to and from school has expanded rapidly in recent years. However, the role of parents' backgrounds, socioeconomic conditions, and perceptions of the neighbourhood environment in determining children's active commuting to and from school is not fully understood. We aim to summarise research on determinants and health consequences of children's active commuting to school. We used mixed methods in a sequential approach, starting with an online survey and then interviews with school directors and workshops with parents. The results emphasise the importance of previous cultural and personal experiences, parents' expectations, and their day-to-day lives. Recent social changes, such as housing access, declining birth rates, safety perceptions and increasing after-school activities, may change parental attitudes towards their children's mode of school travel over time. To improve walking to and from school, we believe that new co-creative approaches involving children and parents, stakeholders from health, urban planning and schools are needed to overcome these tendencies and prevent future inequalities.
References
Hagerstrand, T. (1982). Diorama, path and project. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, 73(6), 323–339. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9663.1982.tb01647.x Lopes, F., Cordovil, R., & Neto, C. (2014). Children’s independent mobility in Portugal: Effects of urbanization degree and motorized modes of travel. Journal of Transport Geography, 41, 210–219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2014.10.002
Terrón-Pérez, M., Molina-García, J., Martínez-Bello, V. E., & Queralt, A. (2018). Active commuting to school among preschool-aged children and its barriers: An exploratory study in collaboration with parents. Journal of Transport & Health, 8, 244–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2017.12.007
van den Berg, P., Waygood, E. O. D., van de Craats, I., & Kemperman, A. (2020). Factors affecting parental safety perception, satisfaction with school travel and mood in primary school children in the Netherlands. Journal of Transport & Health, 16, Article 100837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2020.100837
| Keywords | inclusive mobility; active commuting to school; walkability; parental perceptions |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
