Correlates of the intention to use a bike library system among New Zealand adolescents from different settlement types

Introduction: Bike library systems (BLS) are present in several cities around the world. These systems have been implemented as policies to promote physical activity and health, and to reduce, among others, traffic congestion and air pollution. The implementation of BLS could facilitate the use of bicycle in countries like New Zealand, where the proportion of adolescents using cycling as a mode of transport is quite low. This study examined the correlates of the intention to use a BLS in a sample of New Zealand adolescents living in different settlement types. Methods: Adolescents (n = 2355; age: 13–18 years) from 23 secondary schools in the Otago region, New Zealand participated in this study. Participants completed an online questionnaire reporting their sociodemographic characteristics, transport to school, an interest in BLS and perceptions of cycling in general and cycling to school. Data were examined using multiple linear regression. Results: Overall, 17.1% of adolescents stated that they would use a BLS if it was available in their area. In the regression model, positive correlates of the intention to use a BLS were participant’s age, adolescents liking bicycle riding for recreational purposes, cycling often with friends, and cycling to school being perceived as interesting/pleasant/stimulating and a great way to get some exercise (all p < 0.01). Negative correlates were male gender and having two or more bicycles at home (all p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: Different sociodemographic, individual and interpersonal factors were identified as significant correlates of the adolescents’ intention to use a BLS. These findings can be used to assist in designing more effective interventions to promote bicycle use among adolescents based on the BLS implementation.</p

Differences in parental perceptions of walking and cycling to high school according to distance

Background: Parental perceptions towards different modes of transport correlate with adolescents’ mode choice for school trips. Whether parental attitudes differ for walking versus cycling and/or home-to-school distance is unknown. We compared parental perceptions of walking versus cycling to school in adolescents in Dunedin, New Zealand and examined whether mode-specific barriers differ by distance to school. Methods: Parents (n = 341; age: 47.5 ± 5.2 years; 77.1% females) completed a survey about their adolescent’s (age: 13–18 years; 48.1% boys) school travel and their own perceptions of walking/cycling to school. Participants were categorised into three groups according to distance to school as ‘walkable’ ( 2.25 km), ‘cyclable’ (>2.25– 4.0 km) and ‘beyond cyclable’ (>4.0 km). Results: Common modes of transport to school differed significantly across the ‘walkable’/’cyclable’/’beyond cyclable’ categories (car passenger: 25.7%/40.5%/60.6%; public/ school bus: 5.5%/15.4%/28.4%; walking: 66.2%/28.2%/1.2%; cycling: 0.0%/7.7%/0.5%; all p < 0.001). Compared to walking, parents perceived cycling to school to be less important (walking/cycling: 87.5%/62.5%), with less social support from parents (46.2%/17.1%), peers (20.6%/4.8%) and school (24.5%/12.4%), less interest from adolescents (48.5%/31.9%), fewer cycle paths (26.5%) versus footpaths (65.0%) and more safety concerns (35.0%/64.6%; all p < 0.001). As distance to school increased, parents’ social support decreased whereas personal, environmental and safety-related barriers increased for both modes, with less consistent findings for cycling. Overall, 68.2% of parents expected to participate in adolescents’ walking/cycling to school decision-making. Conclusions: Parents favoured walking compared to cycling to school with parental attitudes for both modes changing with increasing distance to school. The findings illustrate the importance of addressing parental concerns, considering the specificity of walking and cycling and taking into account distance to school in active transport to school initiative

Examining the transport to school patterns of New Zealand adolescents by home-to-school distance and settlement types

Background: Scholarship on active transport to school has largely focused on children, (large) urban areas, the umbrella term of “active transport” which considered walking and cycling together and without taking into account walking and/or cycling distance. This research examined adolescents’ patterns of transport to school in diverse settlement types and in relation to home-to-school distance in the Otago region of Aotearoa New Zealand. Methods: Patterns of transport to school by home-to-school distance, and across school locations, are described for a sample of 2,403 adolescents (age: 15.1 ± 1.4 years; 55% females) attending 23 out of 27 schools in large urban areas (n = 1,309; 11 schools), medium urban areas (n = 265; three schools), small urban areas (n = 652; four schools) and rural settings (n = 177; five schools). Empirical data were collected through an online survey, in which adolescents reported ociodemographic characteristics, travel to school, and perceptions of walking and cycling. Home-to-school distance was measured on the shortest route determined using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based network analysis.  Results: Transport to school patterns differed significantly by home-to-school distance and across settlement types. Profiles of different transport user groups showed significant variability in sociodemographic characteristics, family factors, average distance to school, self-reported physical activity, and perceived health. Conclusions: Initiatives to promote active transport and reduce reliance on car transport to school, whether to improve health and the environment or to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, need to pay closer attention to the settlement types, distance to school, and characteristics of different transport user modes.</p