Understanding parents' school travel choices: A qualitative study using the Theoretical Domains Framework

Abstract

Traffic related air pollution is detrimental to health and creates a substantial attributable mortality burden. It is suggested that a shift from motorised transport to active forms of travel will therefore have significant health benefits. Currently 46% of school journeys for primary aged children are made by car and this figure has risen steadily. Understanding barriers to active school travel (AST) is an important first step in developing behavioural interventions to increase active travel. The purpose of this study mode with a focus on identifying barriers and facilitators to AST. Twenty parents of primary school children (4-12 years) in the West Yorkshire region took part in semi-structured interviews regarding school travel, informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework. Framework Analysis was used to identify key themes in the data and to develop a ual and structural levels. Distance was the biggest barrier to AST. Time constraints were reported as the main barrier to parents accompanying children in AST, while concerns about safety deterred parents from allowing children to travel independently. The need to incorporate multiple jouneys, such as the work commute and/or multiple school drop-offs, while difficulty getting children into local schools meant further to travel for a number of parents. Findings suggest that interventions to promote AST may be particularly effective if tailored towards working parents.However, also addressing factors such as distance to school and school travel at a policy level may produce more significant shifts in behaviour.

‘I’ve always done what I was told by the medical people’: a qualitative study of the reasons why older adults attend multifactorial falls risk assessments mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework

“…Second, we did not use the TDF to inform the development of the interview topic guide. Doing so may have obtained greater detail about the role of each domain in influencing the target behaviour as is noted in other studies 31 32. Equally, the easy mapping of the naturally occurring themes to the TDF domains validates its usefulness in this research area.…”

Travel-To-School Mode Choice Modelling Employing Artificial Intelligence Techniques: A Comparative Study

“…Moreover, the study reported that half of the children walked or used a bicycle for school travel. A study conducted in Yorkshire, United Kingdom [9], reported that the distance, time constraints, and parent's safety concern were the main barriers to active transportation. A study conducted in Dunedin, New Zealand [31], reported that approximately 51 percent of adolescents were admitted in the nearest school, which showed a five times higher rate of walking and lower motorization rates compared to their counterparts.…”

“…The parent's income, car ownership, and socioeconomic status are positively related to car use for school children, while these factors show a negative relationship with walking/bicycling. The distance and safety concerns have been found to be pivotal barriers for the parents towards active transportation [9].…”

Active School Travel Intervention Methodologies in North America: A Systematic Review

“…Second, this review provides a comprehensive documentation of all aspects related to intervention design and methodology. The focus is centered on methodology for a few reasons; principally, because recent research has discussed the importance of intervention sustainability, 25 programming, 26 and collaboration 27 in relation to improving AST. Finally, this review generates a pragmatic discussion for practitioners.…”