Influence of distance, area, and cultural context in active commuting: Continental and insular children

Abstract

Commuting by walking or cycling is a way to increase physical activity levels. The objective of this article was to determine the modes of commuting to school and the distance and time of the way to school among children from Easter Island and from the mainland (Valparaíso), in Chile. A total of 666 children and adolescents aged 10 to 18 years old (208 from Easter Island and 458 from Valparaíso) participated and completed a valid questionnaire including data about age, gender, usual commuting mode to and from school, distance, and travel time. There are important differences in the mode of commuting between students of Valparaíso and Easter Island. Private transport is more commonly used in Valparaíso than in Easter Island (p<0.001). Furthermore, it was observed that cycling and public transportation are not used as mode of commuting in Valparaíso and Easter Island respectively. Students from Easter Island, who travel more distance and during more time, are more active than students from Valparaíso (going 24.8% and 17.6%; from: 61% and 28.8% respectively). This situation is influenced by the geographic context of the island, the distances from home to school, and the type of commuting, which fosters the level of active commuting. On the other hand, the passive modes of commuting to school are higher in the mainland urban setting of Valparaíso. It is necessary to study the diverse contexts of the Easter Island population, but, for now, the rural setting of Easter Island seems to be associated with a greater level of active commuting to school.

School environment and physical activity in adolescents from São Paulo city

“…Furthermore, density of exercise facilities and urbanization (i.e., urban versus rural residences) are positively associated with physical activity 13 . Distance from home to school is the most common barrier to active commuting to school, especially because it is the primary factor in the www.nature.com/scientificreports/ parents' decision-making process for or against allowing their child to walk or cycle to school 34 . In addition, it may not be feasible to walk or cycle to school if the distance is too far in medium-sized towns possibly because of higher traffic density 35 .…”

Commuting to College: An Analysis of a Suburban Campus on the Outskirts of Madrid

“…It is clear that the further away one lives from a commuting location, the less likely one is to commute actively. However, the walkable distance from home to the study location seems to depend on other factors as well (urban planning and cultural perceptions) Rousseeuw, Rodríguez-Rodríguez et al [59,60]. In accordance with this, Djurhuus et al [61] detected, based on a Danish National Health Survey, that there was no signifcant association between the distance to the nearest bus stop and an active commute.…”

Association between the Duration of the Active Commuting to and from School, and Cognitive Performance in Urban Portuguese Adolescents

“…Our study shows a higher percentage of ACS compared to other studies carried out in Portugal [ 37 ]. However, our participants reside in an island region, which may explain this percentage difference [ 38 ]. The characteristics of environment such as proximity between home and school, security [ 22 ], population density [ 39 ], and built [ 40 ] and natural environment [ 41 ] are also factors to be considered; however, this association needs further investigation.…”