Active school transport and weekday physical activity in 9–11-year-old children from 12 countries
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Date
2015
Authors
Denstel, K.D.
Broyles, S.T.
Larouche, R.
Sarmiento, O.L.
Barreira, T.V.
Chaput, J-P.
Church, T.S.
Fogelholm, M.
Hu, G.
Kuriyan, R.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Active school transport (AST) may increase the time that children spend in physical activity (PA). This study examined
relationships between AST and weekday moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), light physical activity (LPA), sedentary time
(SED) and total activity during naturally organized time periods (daily, before school, during school and after school) in a sample of
children from 12 countries.
METHODS: The sample included 6224 children aged 9–11 years. PA and sedentary time were objectively measured using Actigraph
accelerometers. AST was self-reported by participants. Multilevel generalized linear and logistic regression statistical models were
used to determine associations between PA, SED and AST across and within study sites.
RESULTS: After adjustment for age, highest parental educational attainment, BMI z-score and accelerometer wear time, children
who engaged in AST accumulated significantly more weekday MVPA during all studied time periods and significantly less time in
LPA before school compared with children who used motorized transport to school. AST was unrelated to time spent in sedentary
behaviors. Across all study sites, AST was associated with 6.0 min (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.7–7.3; Po0.0001) more of
weekday MVPA; however, there was some evidence that this differed across study sites (P for interaction = 0.06). Significant positive
associations were identified within 7 of 12 study sites, with differences ranging from 4.6 min (95% CI: 0.3–8.9; P = 0.04, in Canada) to
10.2 min (95% CI: 5.9–14.4; Po0.0001, in Brazil) more of daily MVPA among children who engaged in AST compared with
motorized transport.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that AST was associated with children spending more time engaged in MVPA
throughout the day and less time in LPA before school. AST represents a good behavioral target to increase levels of PA in children.
Description
doi:10.1038/ijosup.2015.26
Keywords
Citation
International Journal of Obesity Supplements (2015) 5, S100–S106