Policies related to active transport to and from school: a multisite case study

Abstract

Active transportation to and from school (ATS) is a viable strategy to help increase physical activity among youth. ATS can be challenging because initiatives require transdisciplinary collaboration, are influenced by the built environment and are affected by numerous policies. The purpose of this study is to identify policies and factors that influence ATS initiatives. Nine elementary schools in seven states participated in this case study. Sixty-nine stakeholders were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed, coded and analyzed using a master thematic codebook. This study identified two distinct aspects of policies: 'influential factors' which are factors that might impact policies related to ATS and 'policy actions' which are policies reported by people involved in ATS initiatives that directly affected their success. Influential factors included sidewalks, crosswalks/crossing guards, funding, personal safety concerns, advocacy group involvement and others. Policy actions included policies on school speed zone, drop-off, no-transport zones, school siting, school start/dismissal time and school choice. Despite the diversity of the schools studied, similarities included influence of built environment, safety concerns, funding and transdisciplinary collaboration. Stakeholders need to work together to stimulate action and ensure successful initiatives. Influential factors appear to be important to this process.

Active commuting to school in New Zealand Children (2004–2008): A quantitative analysis

“…While it was not the scope of this research to determine which component of the STP program was most successful, given the recommendations from previous research (Eyler et al, 2008, Fesperman et al, 2008, Hotz et al, 2004 we believe that the comprehensive and holistic nature of the program incorporating educational and environmental components helped increase active commuting in children. Clearly, further research is necessary to determine the effectiveness of each component.…”

Determinants of uptake and maintenance of active commuting to school

“…These findings have important implications for identifying the most appropriate interventions to increase active commuting in those children who live a large distance from school. For example, the use of "drop off spots" -designated places where parents can drop their children to walk the remaining route to school (D'Haese et al, 2011) -are emerging as a promising strategy (Vanwolleghem et al, 2014, Eyler et al, 2008 .…”

Communicating Prevention Messages to Policy Makers: The Role of Stories in Promoting Physical Activity

“…35, 36 In the physical activity arena, identifying barriers in the built environment (e.g., lack of sidewalks) that make it nearly impossible for some kids to walk to school have prompted local action to create safe routes for walking. 37 Emphasizing the importance of environmental and structural barriers in determining physical activity levels may help remove the focus from individual-level determinants, and thus, the onus associated with potentially voluntary behaviors. This is particularly important when making reference to the problem of obesity, since the term may have derogatory connotations and could contribute to negative stereotypes of slothful and undisciplined individuals as the root cause of the problem.…”