Walking or cycling to school may be an effective and efficient way to integrate physical activity into the daily routine of children, according to researchers at Kansas State University. An Australian study suggests that poor urban design and safety fears are turning off kids from walking and cycling to school, and, thereby, increasing obesity rates.
Led by Pam Wittman, a K-State senior in kinesiology, the project included two surveys conducted in 2008 that looked at demographics, psychosocial factors and environmental characteristics related to active commuting. A survey of more than 800 individuals at K-State was conducted, followed by another survey of 400 Manhattan area residents.
The results of the study have paved the way for future policy discussions, and for tailoring public health messages.In the campus study, the researchers found that students were most likely to actively commute, then faculty members, and then staff.Women and men were equally interested in walking or biking, while older individuals were less likely to actively commute than younger individuals.
Depending on distance to campus, those living within a 20-minute walk actively commuted four times a week, and those within a 20-minute bike ride, biked to campus five times per week.The researchers revealed that many survey participants said that they were willing to actively commute if they perceived they could travel to their destination in about 20 minutes, or a distance of approximately one mile.
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