Children’s route choice during active transportation to school: difference between shortest and actual route

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dc.contributor.authorDessing, Dirk
dc.contributor.authorde Vries, Sanne I
dc.contributor.authorHegeman, Geertje
dc.contributor.authorVerhagen, Evert
dc.contributor.authorvan Mechelen, Willem
dc.contributor.authorPierik, Frank H
dc.date.accessioned2021-10-08T07:04:18Z
dc.date.available2021-10-08T07:04:18Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractBackgroundThe purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of environmental correlates that are associated with route choice during active transportation to school (ATS) by comparing characteristics of actual walking and cycling routes between home and school with the shortest possible route to school.MethodsChildren (n = 184; 86 boys, 98 girls; age range: 8–12 years) from seven schools in suburban municipalities in the Netherlands participated in the study. Actual walking and cycling routes to school were measured with a GPS-device that children wore during an entire school week. Measurements were conducted in the period April–June 2014. Route characteristics for both actual and shortest routes between home and school were determined for a buffer of 25m from the routes and divided into four categories: Land use (residential, commercial, recreational, traffic areas), Aesthetics (presence of greenery/natural water ways along route), Traffic (safety measures such as traffic lights, zebra crossings, speed bumps) and Type of street (pedestrian, cycling, residential streets, arterial roads). Comparison of characteristics of shortest and actual routes was performed with conditional logistic regression models.ResultsMedian distance of the actual walking routes was 390.1m, whereas median distance of actual cycling routes was 673.9m. Actual walking and cycling routes were not significantly longer than the shortest possible routes. Children mainly traveled through residential areas on their way to school (>80% of the route). Traffic lights were found to be positively associated with route choice during ATS. Zebra crossings were less often present along the actual routes (walking: OR = 0.17, 95 % CI = 0.05–0.58; cycling: OR = 0.31, 95 % CI = 0.14–0.67), and streets with a high occurrence of accidents were less often used during cycling to school (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.43–0.76). Moreover, percentage of visible surface water along the actual route was higher compared to the shortest routes (walking: OR = 1.04, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.07; cycling: OR = 1.03, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.05).DiscussionThis study showed a novel approach to examine built environmental exposure during active transport to school. Most of the results of the study suggest that children avoid to walk or cycle along busy roads on their way to school.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12966-016-0373-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
dc.identifier.apacitationDessing, D., de Vries, S. I., Hegeman, G., Verhagen, E., van Mechelen, W., & Pierik, F. H. (2016). Children’s route choice during active transportation to school: difference between shortest and actual route. <i>International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity</i>, 13(1), 174 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34478en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationDessing, Dirk, Sanne I de Vries, Geertje Hegeman, Evert Verhagen, Willem van Mechelen, and Frank H Pierik "Children’s route choice during active transportation to school: difference between shortest and actual route." <i>International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity</i> 13, 1. (2016): 174 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34478en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationDessing, D., de Vries, S.I., Hegeman, G., Verhagen, E., van Mechelen, W. & Pierik, F.H. 2016. Children’s route choice during active transportation to school: difference between shortest and actual route. <i>International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.</i> 13(1):174 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34478en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1479-5868
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Dessing, Dirk AU - de Vries, Sanne I AU - Hegeman, Geertje AU - Verhagen, Evert AU - van Mechelen, Willem AU - Pierik, Frank H AB - BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of environmental correlates that are associated with route choice during active transportation to school (ATS) by comparing characteristics of actual walking and cycling routes between home and school with the shortest possible route to school.MethodsChildren (n = 184; 86 boys, 98 girls; age range: 8–12 years) from seven schools in suburban municipalities in the Netherlands participated in the study. Actual walking and cycling routes to school were measured with a GPS-device that children wore during an entire school week. Measurements were conducted in the period April–June 2014. Route characteristics for both actual and shortest routes between home and school were determined for a buffer of 25m from the routes and divided into four categories: Land use (residential, commercial, recreational, traffic areas), Aesthetics (presence of greenery/natural water ways along route), Traffic (safety measures such as traffic lights, zebra crossings, speed bumps) and Type of street (pedestrian, cycling, residential streets, arterial roads). Comparison of characteristics of shortest and actual routes was performed with conditional logistic regression models.ResultsMedian distance of the actual walking routes was 390.1m, whereas median distance of actual cycling routes was 673.9m. Actual walking and cycling routes were not significantly longer than the shortest possible routes. Children mainly traveled through residential areas on their way to school (>80% of the route). Traffic lights were found to be positively associated with route choice during ATS. Zebra crossings were less often present along the actual routes (walking: OR = 0.17, 95 % CI = 0.05–0.58; cycling: OR = 0.31, 95 % CI = 0.14–0.67), and streets with a high occurrence of accidents were less often used during cycling to school (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.43–0.76). Moreover, percentage of visible surface water along the actual route was higher compared to the shortest routes (walking: OR = 1.04, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.07; cycling: OR = 1.03, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.05).DiscussionThis study showed a novel approach to examine built environmental exposure during active transport to school. Most of the results of the study suggest that children avoid to walk or cycle along busy roads on their way to school.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12966-016-0373-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. DA - 2016 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town IS - 1 J1 - International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2016 SM - 1479-5868 T1 - Children’s route choice during active transportation to school: difference between shortest and actual route TI - Children’s route choice during active transportation to school: difference between shortest and actual route UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34478 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/34478
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationDessing D, de Vries SI, Hegeman G, Verhagen E, van Mechelen W, Pierik FH. Children’s route choice during active transportation to school: difference between shortest and actual route. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2016;13(1):174 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34478.en_ZA
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Human Biology
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciences
dc.sourceInternational Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
dc.source.journalissue1
dc.source.journalvolume13
dc.source.pagination174 - 177
dc.source.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12966-016-0373-y
dc.subject.otherGéographie
dc.subject.otherécole
dc.subject.otherdéportation
dc.subject.othervoie
dc.subject.otherannées
dc.subject.otheroccupation du sol
dc.subject.otheresthétique
dc.subject.othereau
dc.subject.otherrue
dc.subject.otheranalyse comparative
dc.subject.otherrégression
dc.subject.otherroman
dc.subject.othertransport
dc.subject.otherHealth
dc.subject.otherActive transportation
dc.subject.otherBuilt environment
dc.subject.otherChildren
dc.subject.otherElementary school
dc.subject.otherGIS
dc.subject.otherGlobal Positioning System (GPS)
dc.subject.otherWalking
dc.subject.otherCycling
dc.subject.otherHealthy for Life
dc.subject.otherHealthy Living
dc.subject.otherLife
dc.subject.otherCH - Child Health
dc.subject.otherELSS - Earth
dc.titleChildren’s route choice during active transportation to school: difference between shortest and actual route
dc.typeJournal Article
uct.type.publicationResearch
uct.type.resourceJournal Article
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