Parents' perceived barriers to active commuting to school. Comparative study between Spanish and Ecuadorian cities.

Parents´ perceptions can influence their children´s mode of commuting to school. In this sense, the purposes of this study were to compare parental barriers towards active commuting to school (ACS) between Ecuadorian and Spanish children, and to analyze the associations between those barriers and the children's mode of commuting. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed using Chi-square and T-student test. Associations were analyzed by several logistic regression models. Results showed that road safety is the main barrier for ACS, and that all the barriers are perceived as higher by Ecuadorian parents (p<0.001). It was also found that Ecuadorian children were less likely to be active when parents perceive greater total barriers (OR=0.15, CI=0.06, 0.40). Public policies should focus on reducing the parental barriers in order to increase ACS, specifically those related to road safety.

Contribution of active commuting to and from school to device-measured physical activity levels in young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the contribution of active commuting to and from school (ACS) to device-measured light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels in young people aged 6 to 18 years old, as well as, in both trip directions (i.e., home-school, school-home). METHODS: This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA statement, and five different databases were used for the systematic search (PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTdiscuss, Cochrane Library, and National Transportation Library) using PECO strategy. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies met all the eligibility criteria, which compile 7127 participants. The overall ACS weighted LPA was 19.55 min (95% CI: 3.84-35.26; I2 = 99.9%, p < 0.001) and 68.74 min (95% CI: 6.09-131.39; z = 2.15, p = 0.030) during the home-school and school-home trips, respectively. For MVPA, the overall ACS weighted MVPA was 8.98 min (95% CI: 5.33-12.62; I2 = 99.95%, p < 0.001) during the home-school trip and 20.07 min (95% CI: 13.62-26.53; I2 = 99.62%, p < 0.001) during the school-home trip. CONCLUSION: ACS may contribute about 48% of the PA recommendations in young people on school days if both trip directions are actively performed. Therefore, future studies aimed at increasing daily PA levels in young population should focus on promoting students' ACS. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020162004A.

Higher independent mobility to school among adolescents: A secondary analysis using cross-sectional data between 2010 and 2017 in Spanish youth.

AIM: To describe and to analyse the associations between independent mobility to school (IM) with gender and age in Spanish youth aged 6-18 years old from 2010 to 2017. Moreover, to study the changes in the rates of IM from 2010 to 2017 by gender and age. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were obtained from 11 Spanish studies. The study sample comprised 3460 children and 1523 adolescents. Logistic regressions models (IM with gender and age) and multilevel logistic regressions (IM with time period) were used. RESULTS: Boys had higher odds ratio (OR) of IM than girls in children (OR = 1.86; CI: 1.50-2.28, p < 0.01). Adolescents showed higher IM than children: 12-14 years old (OR: 6.30; CI: 1.65-23.97) and 14-16 years old (OR: 7.33; CI: 1.18-45.39) had higher IM than 6-8 years old for boys (all, p < 0.05). Moreover, 12-14 years old (OR: 4.23; CI: 1.01-17.81) had higher IM than 6-8 years old for girls (p < 0.001). IM was not associated with the time period. CONCLUSION: The IM is higher in boys and in adolescents, highlighting the relevance to promote IM strategies targeting girls and children. In these strategies is essential the support of researchers, public health practitioners and families to achieve positive results.

Active Commuting to School among Spanish Preschool Children: A Temporal Change Study between 2013 and 2017.

BACKGROUND: Active commuting to school may increase the total daily physical activity and achieve health benefits among preschool children. Rates of active commuting to school among Spanish children and adolescents have been widely analysed, while the rates of active commuting to school among Spanish preschool children are unknown. AIM: The main objective of this study was to examine the changes in the rates of active commuting to school in a sample of Spanish preschool children between 3 and 6 years old from 2013 to 2017. METHODS: Data were found from five studies carried out across Spain. The study sample comprised 4787 preschool children (4.59 ± 0.77 years old; 51% males). The overall changes in active commuting to school were assessed using multilevel logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The rates of active commuting to school in Spanish preschool children are around 52%, and the active commuting to school rates have stayed stable throughout the period assessed (odds ratio from 0.40 to 0.58, all p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In preschool children, the present study obtained a favourable result on active commuting to school, showing a pattern stability in the examined period similar to other ages. It will be of great importance to promote this behaviour to obtain high levels of active commuting to school.

Testing the Mystic School Mobile Application to Promote Active Commuting to School in Spanish Adolescents: The PACO Study.

Active commuting to and/or from school (ACS) is an opportunity to increase daily physical activity (PA) levels in young people. Mobile-device interventions focused on promoting the practice of health-related PA can be more cost-effective than traditional interventions in this population. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the adolescents' opinion of the mobile application (app) Mystic School, which was designed to promote ACS in Spanish adolescents. METHODS: A total of 44 students (14-15 years old) from Granada and Jaén participated in the test of the Mystic School app during two phases: phase 1 (n = 10) for 2 weeks and phase 2 (n = 34) for 1 month. Each phase included an app presentation, a follow-up, and focus group sessions. The qualitative analysis was carried out through NVivo software. RESULTS: In phase 1, adolescents reported improvements in the design and functioning, such as the avatar movement, virtual steps utilities, and multiplayer function. These suggestions were included in phase 2. After phase 2, adolescents reported that it is important to add the possibility of playing without an Internet connection to the game, to include more competitive options, prizes, and to increase the difficulty of the levels. In both phases, problems with the step number counting remained. CONCLUSION: The Mystic School app can be a useful tool for the physical education teacher to integrate the content from this curriculum related to the promotion of PA, such as ACS.

The Effect of a School-Based Intervention on Children's Cycling Knowledge, Mode of Commuting and Perceived Barriers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The low rates of active commuting to/from school in Spain, especially by bike, and the wide range of cycling interventions in the literature show that this is a necessary research subject. The aims of this study were: (1) to assess the feasibility of a school-based cycling intervention program for adolescents, (2) to analyse the effectiveness of a school-based cycling intervention program on the rates of cycling and other forms of active commuting to/from school (ACS), and perceived barriers to active commuting in adolescents. A total of 122 adolescents from Granada, Jaén and Valencia (Spain) participated in the study. The cycling intervention group participated in a school-based intervention program to promote cycling to school during Physical Education (PE) sessions in order to analyse the changes in the dependent variables at baseline and follow up of the intervention. Wilcoxon, Signs and McNemar tests were undertaken. The association of the intervention program with commuting behaviour, and perceived barriers to commuting, were analysed by binary logistic regression. There were improvements in knowledge at follow-up and the cycling skill scores were medium-low. The rates of cycling to school and active commuting to/from school did not change, and only the "built environment (walk)" barrier increased in the cycling group at follow-up. School-based interventions may be feasibly effective tools to increase ACS behaviour, but it is necessary to implement a longer period and continue testing further school-based cycling interventions.

Active Commuting to University Is Positively Associated with Physical Activity and Perceived Fitness.

BACKGROUND: Fitness is a powerful marker of health associated with physical activity (PA) in university students. However, insufficient PA is a serious health concern among university students. Active commuting provides an opportunity for increased PA levels. Therefore, the aims of this study were (a) to describe the mode of commuting, PA and fitness in university students; (b) to analyze the associations of mode of commuting with PA and fitness; and c) to analyze the relationship between mode of commuting, PA recommendations and fitness. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 1257 university students (52.4% women) participated (22.4 ± 5.6 years old). RESULTS: Public commuting was the main mode to and from university. Active and public commuters were more likely to meet the PA recommendations and reported higher muscular strength than those using private commuting. Active and public commuters who met PA recommendations present the highest fitness in most of its components. CONCLUSIONS: Achieving the PA recommendations was more relevant than adopting an active mode of commuting in order to have better fitness. Further research targeting a broader understanding of the mode of commuting, PA levels and fitness in university students is needed.

Role of Sociodemographic Variables and the Mother's Active Behavior on Active Commuting to School in Children and Adolescents.

The main objective of the current study was to analyze how parents' sociodemographic characteristics, mode of commuting and physical activity (PA) act as indicators of active commuting to school (ACS) in their children and adolescents. A total of 684 paired parents (52.8% mothers) and their respective offspring (33.7% girls) were included. The participants self-reported their sociodemographic characteristics, mode of commuting, and PA. Logistic regression analyses were performed using a stepwise approach, including, as indicators, parental characteristics, mode of commuting and PA. The main outcome was child and adolescent ACS. The odds ratio (OR) and R2 of Nagelkerke were obtained for each step. Parental sociodemographic characteristics were greater indicators of child ACS than the parental mode of commuting and PA. In children, the greatest predictive variables of ACS explained 38% of the variance and were as follows: car availability (OR = 0.24), father's educational level (OR = 0.47), mother's educational level (OR = 1.95), mother's active commuting to work (OR = 4.52) and mother's salary/month (OR = 0.67). In adolescents, the greatest predictive variables of ACS explained 40% of the variance and were as follows: socioeconomic level (OR = 0.43) and father's active commuting (OR = 10.6). In conclusion, sociodemographic factors are better indicators of ACS than parents' physical activity and active commuting to work.

Bicycle Touring 480 km in Seven Days: Effects on Body Composition and Physical Fitness-A Case Study.

Bicycle touring as a modality of physical activity that involves whole-body cardiorespiratory and metabolic functions could be a potential strategy to improve body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of 7-days bicycle touring activity on body composition and physical fitness. A total of 13 individuals (three women) participated in this quasi-experimental study. The participants were evaluated at baseline and were tracked for up to 12 days after the intervention. The intervention consisted of a 480 km bicycle touring route performed over 8 days. Body weight and body composition (i.e., fat mass and lean mass) were assessed using a bioelectrical impedance analyser. Physical fitness was measured using the International Fitness Scale questionnaire. We conducted a repeated-measures analysis of variance to determine changes in body weight and body composition and paired sample t-tests to analyse changes in physical fitness. Significant differences in fat mass were observed between the baseline and both post-intervention (p = 0.003) and re-test values (p = 0.031). Significant differences were also noted in lean mass between the baseline and post-intervention values (p = 0.003), whereas no significant changes were observed when compared the baseline and re-test values (p = 0.178). Significant differences were obtained in cardiorespiratory fitness when comparing the baseline with the post-intervention values (p = 0.016), whereas no significant differences were noted in general fitness, muscular strength, speed/agility, and flexibility (all p > 0.05). In conclusion, a 7-day bicycle touring intervention can significantly reduce fat mass and increase lean mass and cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy individuals.

Preliminary Results of a Bicycle Training Course on Adults' Environmental Perceptions and Their Mode of Commuting.

This study was designed to analyze the effects of a bicycle training course on both adults' environmental perceptions and their mode of commuting. Four bicycle training courses for adults were conducted in Granada, Spain in April 2015 and May 2016. The course program was focused on developing practical skills and attitudes on road. From the initial 65 adults who started the course, only 35 adults met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Participants completed twice (i.e., before and after the course) a questionnaire about their perceptions of the environment, usual mode of commuting to daily destinations, and sociodemographic characteristics. After finishing the initial questionnaire, the participants completed a bicycle training course based on the methodology "Bikeability" with a duration of 6 h. The results suggest that participants improved their safety perception in relation to the level of crime in the participants' neighborhood after the bicycle training course. Cycling training courses should last longer in order to produce changes in the mode of commuting and in the environmental perceptions.

Is active commuting associated with sedentary behaviour and physical activity in women with fibromyalgia? The al-Ándalus project.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the association between active commuting and sedentary time (ST) and physical activity (PA) in women with fibromyalgia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 420 women with fibromyalgia (aged 30 to 74 years old) from Spain. The participants wore an accelerometer during seven days to record ST and PA. They also self-reported patterns of active commuting. Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between commuting and accelerometer outcomes. Age, pressure pain threshold, and accelerometer wear time were used as confounders. RESULTS: There was a negative association between active commuting and ST whereas active commuting was positively associated with moderate PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA, total PA, and step count (all p ≤ 0.01). No associations were observed in the older group. CONCLUSION: Younger women with fibromyalgia who were active commuters spent less ST and were involved in greater PA than passive commuters. This study highlights the importance of promoting active commuting to increase PA among young women with fibromyalgia, while other sources of PA might be recommended for older patients if levels of active commuting are not increased.Implications for rehabilitationActive commuting is a source to increase PA in women with fibromyalgia.Active commuting alone does not seem to be enough to increase PA levels in older women with fibromyalgia and additional PA strategies should be implemented.Promotion of active commuting in young women with fibromyalgia is recommended.

Convergent Validation of a Self-Reported Commuting to and from School Diary in Spanish Adolescents.

The aim of this study was to examine the convergent validity of self-reported diary times for commuting to and from school with device-measured positional data (Global Positioning System; GPS) in Spanish adolescents. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were obtained from four Spanish public secondary schools in 2021, comprising 47 adolescents and 141 home-school and school-home trips. Participants self-reported the time they left and arrived at home and school through a commuting diary. They wore a GPS device recording the objective time during three trips (i.e., one home-school trip and two school-home trips). Agreement between commuting diary and GPS data regarding home-school trips and school-home trips was evaluated using Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: Total commuting time differed by 1 min (95% limits of agreement were 16.1 min and -18.1 min) between subjective and objective measures (adolescents reported 0.8 more minutes in home-school trips and 1 more minute in school-home trips compared to objective data). Passive commuters reported 0.7 more minutes and active commuters reported 1.2 more minutes in the total commuting time compared to objective data. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported commuting diaries may be a useful tool to obtain commuting times of adolescents in epidemiological research or when tools to measure objective times are not feasible.

New Self-Report Measures of Commuting Behaviors to University and Their Association with Sociodemographic Characteristics.

Active commuting provides an opportunity for increased physical activity levels by a simple, inexpensive, and easy way to be incorporated in daily routines and could be considered a steppingstone for achieving a sustainable society since it provides physical, psychological, environmental, and economic benefits. OBJECTIVE: (a) to describe the commuting patterns to and from university in students regarding gender, (b) to provide new self-report variables to measure the active commuting behavior, and (c) to examine the sociodemographic characteristics associated with commuting behaviors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 1257 university students (52.4% females) participated (22.4 ± 5.6 years old) from three Chilean universities located in different cities. RESULTS: 56.1% of women and 42.0% men use public bus to and from university. The commuting energy expenditure was higher in active commuting followed by public and private modes of commuting (p < 0.001). The most active commuters were those older (men: OR = 3.637; 95% CI = 1.63, 8.10; women: OR = 8.841; 95% CI = 3.94, 13.78), those who lived in university residence (men: OR = 12.432; 95% CI = 4.39, 35.19; women: OR = 3.952; 95% CI = 1.31, 11.85), belonged to low socioeconomic level (men: OR = 3.820; 95% CI = 1.43, 10.18; women: OR = 4.936; 95% CI = 1.63, 14.90), and to public universities (men: OR = 26.757; 95% CI = 10.63, 67.34; women: OR = 8.029; 95% CI = 3.00, 21.48). CONCLUSION: The sociodemographic characteristics may influence in the mode of commuting to university. New variables of commuting behaviors may be efficient to quantify the physical activity.

Patterns of Active Commuting to School in Spanish Preschool Children and Its Associations with Socio-Economic Factors: The PREFIT Project.

The aims of this study were to describe patterns of active commuting to school (ACS) of preschool children, and to analyse the relationship between ACS and family socio-economic factors. A total of 2636 families of preschoolers (3-to-5 years old) were asked to complete a questionnaire at home about the mode of commuting to school of their children and marital status, educational level, and profession of both father and mother. Chi-square analyses were applied to compare ACS between school grades and gender of the children. To analyse the association of ACS with socio-economic factors, logistic regression analyses were performed. Almost 50% of participants reported ACS of their offspring, with a higher rate in 3rd preprimary grade (5 years old) than in 1st and 2nd preprimary grades (3- and 4-years old. All, p < 0.05). Those preschool children who had parents with lower educational level and no managerial work had higher odds to ACS than those who had parents with higher educational level and managerial work (all, p ≤ 0.001). Around half of the Spanish preschool children included in this study commuted actively to school and families with lower educational levels or worse employment situation were related to active commuting to school.

Study Protocol of a School-Based Randomized Controlled Trial to Promote Cycling to School Among Students in Germany Using Intervention Mapping: The ACTS Project.

Background: Despite a high rate of bicycle ownership, the prevalence of cycling to school among children and adolescents in Germany has been constantly low. Cycling to school can contribute to meeting the physical activity recommendations, which the majority of children and adolescents in Germany do not meet. Methods: By using intervention mapping, this study protocol describes the systematic planning process of a school-based intervention in Germany aimed to increase the number of days on which students cycle to school and to increase their physical activity levels. To make sure that the intervention will match the needs of students, we conducted a concept mapping study investigating what students need to cycle to school, as perceived by students, parents, and teachers. The logic model of change was based on an integration of the self-determination theory and the social-ecological model. We structured our intervention as two phases, a preparatory phase with weekly components for and a practical phase with a daily repeated component of the targeted behavior. In the 8-week preparatory phase, teachers, parents, and peers will be involved. The content of the 12-week practical phase will involve peers only and was considered promising based on the findings from a systematic review that we conducted to identify the effective strategies of school-based interventions to promote cycling to school among children and adolescents. Overall, our intervention includes 27 behavior change techniques. A researcher, student assistants, teachers, and other collaborators will implement the intervention; a whole-of-school approach with components performed before, during, and after school was chosen. As a study design, we decided to draft a two-arm three-level cluster randomized controlled trial. Both the effect and process evaluation were prepared. In the first instance, approximately 250 students of 12-15 years of age from grade 7 or 8, who attend a secondary school of intermediate or high educational level located in (sub)urban regions in Southern Germany, will pilot the intervention. Discussion: We expect to provide an effective and sustainable intervention for students, which gives insights into the mechanisms of change concerning the behavior of cycling to school and its influence on physical activity levels.

Children and Parental Barriers to Active Commuting to School: A Comparison Study.

The main objectives of this study were: to compare the barriers to active commuting to and from school (ACS) between children and their parents separately for children and adolescents; and to analyze the association between ACS and the children's and parents' barriers. A total of 401 child-parent pairs, from Granada, Jaén, Toledo and Valencia, self-reported, separately, their mode of commuting to school and work, respectively, and the children's barriers to ACS. T-tests and chi-square tests were used to analyze the differences by age for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Binary logistic regressions were performed to study the association between ACS barriers of children and parents and ACS. Both children and adolescents perceived higher physical and motivational barriers and social support barriers towards ACS than their parents (all p < 0.05). Additionally, the parents perceived higher distance, traffic safety, convenience, built environment, crime-related safety and weather as barriers towards ACS, than their children (all p < 0.05). Moreover, a higher perception of barriers was related to lower ACS. The results of our study showed the necessity of attenuating the perceptions of children and their parents in order to increase ACS. This is relevant to develop interventions in the specific contexts of each barrier and involving both populations.

A School-Based Randomized Controlled Trial to Promote Cycling to School in Adolescents: The PACO Study.

This manuscript describes the rationale and protocol of a school-based randomized controlled trial called "Cycling and Walk to School" (PACO, by its Spanish acronym) that aims to promote cycling to and from school and physical activity (PA) in adolescents. This study will examine the effects of this intervention in cycling and active commuting to and from school (ACS), PA and several ACS-related factors based on self-determination theory (SDT) and a social-ecological model (SEM). A total of 360 adolescents attending six high schools (three experimental and three control) from three Spanish cities will participate in this randomized controlled trial. The intervention (four cycling sessions; 1-2 h per session, one session per week) will be conducted by the research staff; the control group will continue their usual activities. PA levels will be measured by accelerometers, whereas ACS and the other study variables will be self-reported using questionnaires at baseline and post-intervention. The primary outcomes will be: rates of cycling to school, ACS and PA levels. In addition, SDT-related variables and individual, interpersonal, community, and environment variables relevant to ACS will be based on SEM. The findings will provide a comprehensive understanding of the short-term effects of this school-based intervention on cycling to school behaviour, ACS and PA levels in Spanish adolescents.

Active commuting to school among 36,781 Spanish children and adolescents: A temporal trend study.

This study examines trends in the rates of active commuting to school (ACS) in Spanish children (n = 18 343; 8.93 ± 1.68) and adolescents (n = 18 438; 14.11 ± 1.58) aged 6-18 years from 2010 to 2017. Given the study period included the economic crisis in Spain (2008-2013), the second aim of this study was to compare ACS rates during and after the economic crisis. Data were obtained from 28 studies conducted across Spain. The overall trends in ACS were evaluated using multilevel logistic regression analysis. Among Spanish children and adolescents, the rates of ACS to school ranged around 60% between 2010 and 2017. The rates of ACS in Spanish youth did not change significantly during the 2010-2017 period, except a sporadic increase in the rate of ACS in adolescents in 2012-2013. No significant association between the ACS and the economic crisis time period in youth was found. As conclusion, the ACS remains stable in Spain during the last decade, which is a promising result regarding the evidenced decreasing trend in many countries. Further educational and policy strategies are important to continue promoting this behavior in children and adolescents in the long term.

Feasibility and reliability of the Spanish version of the Youth Activity Profile questionnaire (YAP-Spain) in children and adolescents.

Considerable public health efforts across the globe have focused on promoting physical activity (PA) and minimizing sedentary behaviour (SB) in youths. However, it is important to have valid, reliable and feasible methods to assess these behaviours in youths. The purpose of this study was to analyse the feasibility and reliability of the Spanish version of the previously validated Youth Activity Profile questionnaire (YAP) in children and adolescents. The YAP-S is a 15-item self-report instrument designed to capture PA and SB in youths. A total of 604 children (5-12 years old) and 346 adolescents (12-17 years old) filled out the questionnaire twice (14 days apart). Feasibility was evaluated through required time and number of misunderstood questions by participants. The test-retest reliability was examined using the weighted kappa coefficient (κ) and intraclass correlation coefficient. The average time to complete the questionnaire was 28.85 ± 14.28 and 12.24 ± 9.84 minutes in children and adolescents, respectively. No misunderstanding of questions was reported. The questionnaire showed an adequate reliability for activity at school, out-of-school and sedentary behaviours (k = 0.61-0.77; ICC = 0.77-0.89) in children and adolescents. The YAP-S might be considered a feasible and reliable questionnaire for assessing PA and SB in Spanish children and adolescents.

A Narrative Review of Motor Competence in Children and Adolescents: What We Know and What We Need to Find Out.

Lack of physical activity is a global public health problem causing not only morbidity and premature mortality, but it is also a major economic burden worldwide. One of the cornerstones of a physically active lifestyle is Motor Competence (MC). MC is a complex biocultural attribute and therefore, its study requires a multi-sectoral, multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary approach. MC is a growing area of research, especially in children and adolescents due to its positive association with a plethora of health and developmental outcomes. Many questions, however, remain to be answered in this field of research, with regard to: (i) Health and Developmental-related Associations of MC; (ii) Assessment of MC; (iii) Prevalence and Trends of MC; (iv) Correlates and Determinants of MC; (v) MC Interventions, and (vi) Translating MC Research into Practice and Policy. This paper presents a narrative review of the literature, summarizing current knowledge, identifying key research gaps and presenting questions for future investigation on MC in children and adolescents. This is a collaborative effort from the International Motor Competence Network (IMCNetwork) a network of academics and researchers aiming to promote international collaborative research and knowledge translation in the expansive field of MC. The knowledge and deliverables generated by addressing and answering the aforementioned research questions on MC presented in this review have the potential to shape the ways in which researchers and practitioners promote MC and physical activity in children and adolescents across the world.