@article{ref1,
title="Effects of a cycle training course on children's cycling skills and levels of cycling to school",
journal="Accident analysis and prevention",
year="2014",
author="Ducheyne, Fabian and De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse and Lenoir, Matthieu and Cardon, Greet",
volume="67",
number="",
pages="49-60",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate the short- and longer-term effects of a cycle training on children's cycling skills. A second aim of the study was to examine the effects of a cycle training, with and without parental involvement, on levels of cycling to school and on parental attitudes towards cycling. METHODS: Three participating schools were randomly assigned to the &quot;intervention&quot; (25 children), the &quot;intervention plus parent&quot; (34 children) or &quot;control&quot; condition (35 children). A cycle training (four sessions of 45min) took place only in the intervention schools. Parents in the &quot;intervention plus parent&quot; condition were asked to assist their child in completing weekly homework tasks. Children's cycling skills were assessed, using a practical cycling test. All participating children also received a short parental questionnaire on cycling behavior and parental attitudes towards cycling. Assessments took place at baseline, within 1 week after the last session and at 5-months follow-up. Repeated measure analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of the cycle training. RESULTS: Children's total cycling skill score increased significantly more from pre to post and from pre to 5-months follow-up in the intervention group than in the control group. On walking with the bicycle (F=1.6), cycling in a straight line (F=2.6), cycling a slalom (F=1.9), cycling over obstacles (F=2.1), cycling on a sloping surface (F=1.7) and dismounting the bicycle (F=2.0), the cycle training had no effect. For all other cycling skills, significant improvements were observed on short- and longer-term. No significant intervention effects were found on children's cycling to school levels (F=1.9) and parental attitudes towards cycling. CONCLUSION: The cycle training course was effective in improving children's cycling skills and the improvements were maintained 5 months later. However, the cycle training course was not effective in increasing children's cycling to school levels.  Keywords: SR2S.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0001-4575",
doi="10.1016/j.aap.2014.01.023",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2014.01.023"
}