Is a Change to Active Travel to School an Important Source of Physical Activity for Chinese Children?

Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2017 Feb;29(1):161-168. doi: 10.1123/pes.2016-0001.

Abstract

This study investigated the association between a change in travel mode to school and one-year changes in physical activity (PA) among children in Hong Kong. Data from 677 children aged 7-10 years (56% boys) who participated in the Understanding Children's Activity and Nutrition (UCAN) study were analyzed. During the 2010/11 and 2011/12 school years, the children wore an accelerometer for a week and their parents completed a questionnaire about the children's modes of travel to school and nonschool destinations. Associations between a change in the mode of travel to school and changes in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) were determined using linear mixed models, adjusting for covariates. Compared with children who consistently used passive travel modes, a change from passive to active travel to school was positively associated with changes in the percentage of time spent in MVPA (b = 1.32, 95% CI = 0.63, 2.02) and MVPA min/day (b = 10.97, 95% CI = 5.26, 16.68) on weekdays. Similar results were found for weekly MVPA. Promoting active travel to school may help to combat age-related decline in PA for some Chinese children. However, maintaining active travel to school may not be sufficient to halt the decreasing trend in MVPA with age.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Accelerometry
  • Child
  • Exercise*
  • Female
  • Hong Kong
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Schools
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Transportation / methods*
  • Travel*
  • Walking