Adolescents’ perceptions of long-term effects of cycle skilltraining

Cycling to school is uncommon among adolescents in most developed countries. Development of cycling skills through cycle skills training (CST) can reduce cycling-related safety concerns. This study examined long-term effects of CST retrospectively by comparing adolescents’ perceptions of cycling to school and their confidence to cycle to school among those who participated in CST in primary and/or intermediate school with non-participants. Adolescents (n=1,260; 51% female; 12 schools) from Dunedin (New Zealand) completed an online survey at school. Adolescents self-reported transport modes to school, perceptions of cycling to school and CST, and previous participation in and perceived benefits of school-based CST programmes. Only 1-2% adolescents usually cycled to school. Overall, 42% agreed CST would make them safer in traffic (no significant difference between CST participants (n=512) and non-participants (n=748)). Among CST participants, 32% reported that CST increased their confidence to cycle to school and those adolescents had more favourable attitudes towards CST than participants who reported no effects. In a multivariable analysis, adolescents’ perceptions that CST increased their cycling confidence were positively associated with self-efficacy for cycling to school (odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 1.33 (1.07, 1.67)), perceived school support (1.51 (1.01, 2.25)), parental cycling-related safety concerns (1.84 (1.25, 2.69)) and being Māori (6.47 (2.36, 17.7)) or other ethnic origins (2.26 (1.00, 5.10); reference: New Zealand Europeans). Therefore, CST could be a useful strategy to support adolescents’ cycling to school, ideally (as suggested in the literature) in combination with appropriate infrastructure changes and speed management measures

Turning the Tide from Cars to Active Transport: Policy Recommendations for New Zealand

Background: Despite national-level efforts to encourage active transport in New Zealand since 2005, rates of active transport have continued to decline in most parts of the country, with negative impacts on health and the environment. / Purpose: We describe the development of key policy recommendations for active transport in New Zealand as an outcome of multi-sectoral discussions held at The Active Living and Environment Symposium (TALES; www.otago.ac.nz/active-living-2019; Dunedin, New Zealand; February 2019). The goal was to establish a set of priority recommendations to inform active transport decision-making in central and local government, public health units and regional sports trusts in New Zealand. / Project Description: The development of recommendations was planned and led by a working group consisting of ten TALES symposium delegates working in academia, industry and non-governmental organisations with prior work experience in central/local government and the private sector. Symposium delegates provided input prior to the symposium (delegates submitted 1-3 policy recommendations); during the symposium (delegates challenged/discussed/modified the first draft of recommendations at a dedicated final day session); and after the symposium (delegates provided feedback on the second draft of recommendations and associated actions). Using an online survey, the working group members also independently evaluated importance and feasibility of each recommended action before inclusion in the document. The final 13 recommendations (and 39 associated actions) were grouped across four broad categories: A) Evaluation, governance and funding; B) Education and encouragement/promotion; C) Engineering (infrastructure, built environment); and D) Enforcement and regulations. The report aligns with the New Zealand government’s increased focus on wellbeing, walking, cycling, public transport and Vision Zero approach, and recommends national targets for walking, cycling and public transport by 2050. The report was officially launched in April 2019. Initial discussions of recommendations with relevant stakeholders were conducted in four major urban centres in April-May 2019. / Conclusions: This cross-sector effort resulted in a report that has the potential to stimulate the development of a new active transport strategy for New Zealand; prompt setting of targets and monitoring progress/outcomes; and inform New Zealand’s response to the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030. Key policy recommendations for active transport in New Zealand include: making a national-level commitment to change; establishing a nationally coordinated and funded programme of education and promotion of active transport; creating a commitment to design cities for people and not for cars; and developing a regulatory system that encourages the use of active transport

Variations in adolescents’ motivational characteristics across gender and physical activity patterns: A latent class analysis approach

Abstract Background Neglecting to take account of the underlying context or type of physical activity (PA) that underpins overall involvement has resulted in a limited understanding of adolescents’ PA participation. The purpose of the present research was to identify male and female adolescents’ leisure time PA patterns and examine whether psychological processes derived from self-determination theory differ as a function of the pattern of PA undertaken. Methods Nine hundred ninety-five students (61.2% females, 38.8% males; M age = 13.72 years, SD = 1.25) from eight secondary schools in Dublin, Ireland completed a physical activity recall 7 day diary and measures of intrinsic motivation, competence, relatedness, autonomy and autonomy support. Based on the diary five binary indicators of physical activity were derived reflecting recommended levels of MVPA on a minimum of 3 days, at least three sessions of non-organized physical activity (e.g. jog), team sport, individual sport, and organized non-sport physical activity (e.g. dance). Latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups of adolescents that engaged in similar patterns of physical activity. Profiles of physical activity participation were subsequently compared on motivational characteristics using Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results Latent class analysis revealed six distinct classes for girls (Organized Run/Swim & Dance/Gym; Organized Dance; Leisure Active Team Sport; Active Individual Sport; Walk/Run/Outdoor games; Non-Participation) and five for boys (Leisure Active Gym; Leisure Active Individual Sport; Active Team Sport; Active Mixed Type; Non-Participation). Significant differences were found between the classes. Girls characterized by participation in team or individual sport, and boys represented by team sport participation demonstrated significantly higher self-determined motivational characteristics relative to other profiles of physical activity. Conclusion This research offers a nuanced insight into the underlying type of activities that constitute overall patterns of PA among adolescent boys and girls and further reveals that psychological processes vary dependent on the profile of physical activity undertaken. The findings may be useful for informing interventions aimed at promoting physical activity among young people