Citation

Kek CC, García Bengoechea E, Spence JC, Mandic S. J. Sport Health Sci. 2019; 8(5): 463-470.

Affiliation

Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Shanghai University of Sport, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jshs.2019.02.006

PMID

31534821

PMCID

PMC6742779

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Adolescents using active transport (AT) to school have higher levels of physical activity (PA) compared with motorized transport (MT) users. This study compared school day and weekend day PA in adolescents using AT, MT, or combined AT and MT (AT + MT) to travel to school.

METHODS: Adolescents (n = 314; age: 14.7 ± 1.4 years; 32.8% boys) from Dunedin (New Zealand) wore an accelerometer for 7 days and completed a self-reported survey regarding mode of transport to school (73 AT, 56 AT + MT, and 185 MT). Data were analyzed using t tests, analysis of variance, and χ² tests.

RESULTS: Although the proportion of adolescents meeting PA guidelines significantly differed among transport groups (AT, 47.9%; AT + MT, 46.4%; MT, 33.5%; p = 0.048; overall, 39.2%), the observed differences were due mainly to girls. Compared with MT, AT and AT + MT engaged in more moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) per day (AT: 61.2 ± 23.2 min; AT + MT: 59.6 ± 21.7 min; MT: 52.5 ± 19.6 min; p = 0.004; p < 0.001, adjusted for gender), per school day and before school. Immediately after school (15:00-16:00), AT engaged in significantly more MVPA compared with AT + MT and MT. No differences in MVPA between the groups were observed in the late afternoon/early evening period during school days or on weekend days.

CONCLUSION: Compared with MT users, adolescent girls using AT or AT + MT accumulated more MVPA during school commute time. AT + MT to school is also a plausible way to increase adolescent girls' PA when AT only is not feasible.

Language: en

Keywords

Accelerometer; Adolescent; Physical activity; Schools; Transportation; Walking