Adolescents and their aspirations for private car‑based transport

The need to transition away from the current car-dominated transport system is well documented in sustainability, health and transportation literatures. Despite growing interest in active and public transport modes, the car still dominates travel preferences for most age groups. There is, however, some evidence of declining preferences for car-based travel for younger generations. In this paper, we use empirical material gathered through a mixed methods study of high school students in Dunedin, New Zealand, to explore the aspirations of adolescents for private car-based transport. We present and interpret findings from a quantitative survey of high school students (n = 1240) and qualitative focus groups (n = 10 focus groups, 54 participants). Contrary to somewhat optimistic reports of reduced aspiration for driving and cars, we find evidence of ongoing preference for car-based transport, and intentions to learn to drive amongst the cohort of young urban millennials. The findings signal the importance of socialisation processes and everyday travel decisions (e.g. mode choice) for long term aspirations to replicate practices of automobility. Such findings have important implications for interventions to increase non-motorised mobilities, and reduce dependence on private vehicles across the transport system

Not academic enough? Enjoyment of physical education and the arts and school engagement in early and middle adolescence: ¿Suficientemente académico? Disfrute de la Educación Física y las Artes e implicación del estudiante con la escuela en la adolescencia temprana y media

School engagement during adolescence is an important personal asset for youth development. While multiple factors contribute to student engagement at school, research on the role of curricular factors is scarce. Based on a secondary analysis of data from Cycle 3 of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, this study examined the associations of Canadian students’ enjoyment of arts education, language arts, mathematics, physical education, and science with their engagement at school during early and middle adolescence, accounting for relevant demographic, family, peer, school, and community factors. All things considered, high levels of enjoyment of physical education and arts education were among the top factors making a contribution to school engagement in both periods of adolescence, and enjoyment of physical education was actually the strongest contributor to school engagement in early adolescence. The findings suggest that curricular factors, and in particular the quality of students’ experiences in physical education and arts education, may be more important than previously recognized in terms of understanding and promoting school engagement in early and middle adolescence. Specifically, the findings provide initial evidence that a positive experience in physical education and arts education can contribute to student engagement and valuing of school. In addition, the findings provide further support for the role of participation in extracurricular activities and after school programs in fostering a sense of connectedness to and endorsement of school values and outcomes during the developmental periods considered

Perceptions about quality of interpersonal processes and practice activities in youth sport are interdependent

Despite calls in the literature, little is known about how dimensions of a social and task nature relate to each other in school and out-of-school learning environments. This study explored whether interpersonal and task dimensions of the youth sport environment, as perceived by young people, are related, and, if so, how they are related. We used data from 310 adolescent sport participants from eastern Canada (Mage = 14.69 ± 1.60 years; 54.8 % girls). Participants completed comprehensive assessments of interpersonal dimensions of the sport environment and the characteristics of learning activities they do in practices. We used canonical correlation analysis to examine the multivariate shared relationship between the variable sets. The relationship was largely captured by the first three functions in the canonical model. The first two functions revealed areas of intersection between perceptions of interpersonal and practice-based activity factors in the form of supports and challenges for the learning and development process in sport. Accounting for the participants’ age, the third function displayed characteristics consistent with recent descriptions of complex environments in youth sport. The findings suggest that adolescents’ perceptions of interpersonal- and task-related features of sport are interdependent, and highlight the relevance of including variables assessing both factors in studies that attempt to characterize and understand learning environments in sport and other achievement domains. Findings also afford new insights into whether dimensions of a social and task nature are complementary, and inadequacies in one dimension can be attenuated by strengths in another or not

The relationship between transport-to-school habits and physical activity in a a sample of New Zealand adolescents

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 x2 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 feasibl

Interventions to improve physical activity among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups: an umbrella review

Background: People from socioeconomically disadvantaged population groups are less likely to be physically active and more likely to experience adverse health outcomes than those who are less disadvantaged. In this umbrella review we examined across all age groups, (1) the effectiveness of interventions to improve physical activity among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, (2) the characteristics of effective interventions, and (3) directions for future research. Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus were searched up to May 2017 to identify systematic reviews reporting physical activity interventions in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations or sub-groups. Two authors independently conducted study screening and selection, data extraction (one author, with data checked by two others) and assessment of methodological quality using the ‘Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews’ scale. Results were synthesized narratively. Results: Seventeen reviews met our inclusion criteria, with only 5 (30%) reviews being assessed as high quality. Seven (41%) reviews focused on obesity prevention and an additional four focused on multiple behavioural outcomes. For pre school children, parent-focused, group-based interventions were effective in improving physical activity. For children, school-based interventions and policies were effective; few studies focused on adolescents and those that did were generally not effective; for adults, there was mixed evidence of effectiveness but characteristics such as group-based interventions and those that focused on physical activity only were associated with effectiveness. Few studies focused on older adults. Across all ages, interventions that were more intensive tended to be more effective. Most studies reported short-term, rather than longer-term, outcomes and common methodological limitations included high probability of selection bias, low response rates, and high attrition. Conclusions: Interventions can be successful at improving physical activity among children from socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, with evidence for other age groups weak or inconclusive. More high-quality studies in this population group are needed, which adopt strategies to increase recruitment rates and reduce attrition, report longer term outcomes, and provide adequate intervention details, to allow determination of the characteristics of effective interventions. We recommend that the benefits of physical activity be recognised more broadly than obesity prevention in future studies, as this may have implications for the design and appeal of interventions

School bag weight as a barrier to active transport to school among New Zealand adolescents

Background: Excessive school bag weight is a barrier to active transport to school (ATS). This study examined parents’ and adolescents’ perceptions of school bag weights and actual school bag weights for adolescents in New Zealand. Methods: Parents (n = 331; 76.7% women) completed a survey. Adolescents (n = 682; age 15.1 1.4 years; 57.3% boys) completed a survey, underwent anthropometry, and had their school bags weighed. Results: Overall, 68.3% of parents perceived that adolescents’ school bags were too heavy to carry to school. This parental perception differed by adolescents’ mode of transport to school (active/motorized/combined: 35.1%/78.4%/68.8%, p < 0.001). Adolescents perceived that their school bags were too heavy to carry to walk (57.8%) or cycle (65.8%) to school. Adolescent perceptions differed by mode of transport to school (for walking (active/motorized/combined): 30.9%/69.2%/55.9% agree, p < 0.001; for cycling: 47.9%/72.8%/67.7%; p < 0.001). Actual school bag weight was, on average, 5.6 2.1 kg. Relative school bag weight (% of body weight) was higher for boys and underweight adolescents compared to their counterparts. Neither absolute nor relative school bag weight differed by mode of transport to school. Conclusions: School bag weight was perceived a barrier to ATS and was a greater perceived barrier among users of motorized versus active transport. Perceptions of school bag weights should be considered in future ATS interventions

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

School choice, distance to school and travel to school patterns among adolescents

Introduction: The absence of school zoning and availability of school choice in some countries leads to increasing travel distance to school, reduced active transport and increased motorized transport to school. This study compared sociodemographic characteristics, reasons for school choice and school transport patterns among urban adolescents based on their enrolment in the closest or a non-closest school and living within walkable or non-walkable distance to school. Methods: Adolescents (n = 2869) from all twelve secondary schools in Dunedin, New Zealand completed an online questionnaire about school choice and school transport in 2014–2015 and 2020–2022. Participants were categorized into four groups based on home-to-school distance and school enrolment: enrolled in the closest school within walking distance (≤2.25 km) (‘closest + walkable’; 22.7%) or not (‘closest + non-walkable’; 20.3%), and enrolled in a non-closest school within walking distance (‘non-closest + walkable’; 6.2%) or not (‘non-closest + non-walkable’; 50.1%). Results: Overall, 43% of adolescents initially enrolled in the closest school, and only half of those lived within walking distance to school. Enrolment in a co-educational school, a non-special character school and a lower decile school and choosing a school because of proximity and social connections were more common among those who enrolled in the closest versus a non-closest school (all p < 0.05). Rates of active transport were higher among those living within walkable distance to school, irrespective of enrolment in the closest or a non-closest school (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings show that distance to school is more consequential than school choice itself regarding how adolescents travel to school</p

Active Travel in Rural New Zealand: A Study of Rural Adolescents’ Perceptions of Walking and Cycling to School

Background: Understanding students’ perceptions of walking and cycling to school  informs active travel interventions and policy. However, perceptions of students in  rural settings are unknown, yet they are important predictors of active travel use.  This study examined perceptions of walking and cycling to school among adolescents ineligible for school transport financial assistance (living ≤4.8 km of school)  in rural New Zealand. Methods: Adolescents (n = 62; 53.2% female; 15.6 ± 1.5 years; five schools) resid?ing and attending a secondary school in a rural setting (population < 1,000) completed an online survey about their perceptions of walking and cycling to school  (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control/intention). Home-toschool distance was calculated using a geographic information system’s shortest  network path analysis. Results: Overall, 73% walked and 11% cycled to school. Compared to cycling,  adolescents reported a greater desire (57% vs 26%) and intention (74% vs 13%)  to walk to school and perceived more support from friends (37% vs 30%), parents  (81% vs 40%), and schools (61% vs 34%) (all p < 0.001). Adolescents also reported  better physical infrastructure (presence/availability of footpaths vs cycle lanes)  for walking versus cycling to school (86% vs 36%, p < 0.001). Over 95% perceived  both walking and cycling to school as safe. Conclusions: Compared to cycling, walking to school was a more common and  preferred transport mode with greater perceived social support and physical  infrastructure. The findings suggest that supportive social and built environments  appear to encourage walking to school in rural areas. Mode-specific approaches  may be required to encourage cycling to school for rural adolescents. </p

Assessing the implementation of physical activity-promoting public policies in the Republic of Ireland: a study using the Physical Activity Environment Policy Index (PA-EPI)

Background Government policy can promote physical activity (PA) as part of a multilevel systems-based approach. The Physical Activity Environment Policy Index (PA-EPI) is a monitoring framework which assesses the implementation of government policy by drawing on the experience of national stakeholders. This study is the frst to assess the extent of policy implementation in the Republic of Ireland using the PA-EPI tool, and to provide information on how policy implementation can be improved, with the intention of maximizing its impact on population levels of PA. Methods This mixed-methods research study, comprising eight steps, was carried out in 2022. Information documenting the evidence for implementation of PA policy, across all 45 PA-EPI indicators, was collected via systematic document analysis, and validated via survey and interview with government ofcials. Thirty-two nongovernment stakeholders rated this evidence on a fve-point Likert scale. Aggregated scores were reviewed by stakeholders who collectively identifed and prioritized critical implementation gaps. Results Of the 45 PA-EPI indicators, one received an implementation rating of ‘none/very little’, 25 received a rating of ‘low’ and 19 received a ‘medium’ rating. No indicator was rated as fully implemented. The indicators that received the highest level of implementation related to sustained mass media campaigns promoting PA and PA monitoring. Ten priority recommendations were developed. Conclusions This study reveals substantial implementation gaps for PA policy in the Republic of Ireland. It provides recommendations for policy action to address these gaps. In time, studies utilizing the PA-EPI will enable cross-country comparison and benchmarking of PA policy implementation, incentivizing improved PA policy creation and implementation.</p