U.S. School Travel, 2009: An Assessment of Trends
TL;DR: There have been sharp increases in driving children to school since 1969 and corresponding decreases in walking to school, particularly evident in the number of vehicle trips generated by parents dropping children at school and teens driving themselves.
About: This article is published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine.The article was published on 2011-08-01. It has received 257 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Vehicle miles of travel & Poison control.
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30 Nov 2013
TL;DR: The Effectiveness of Physical Activity and Physical Education Policies and Programs: Summary of the Evidence and Recommendations are presented.
Abstract: Physical inactivity is a key determinant of health across the lifespan. A lack of activity increases the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression and others diseases. Emerging literature has suggested that in terms of mortality, the global population health burden of physical inactivity approaches that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence and substantial disease risk associated with physical inactivity has been described as a pandemic.The prevalence, health impact, and evidence of changeability all have resulted in calls for action to increase physical activity across the lifespan. In response to the need to find ways to make physical activity a health priority for youth, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment was formed. Its purpose was to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment, including before, during, and after school, and examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short and long term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents. Educating the Student Body makes recommendations about approaches for strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment. This report lays out a set of guiding principles to guide its work on these tasks. These included: recognizing the benefits of instilling life-long physical activity habits in children; the value of using systems thinking in improving physical activity and physical education in the school environment; the recognition of current disparities in opportunities and the need to achieve equity in physical activity and physical education; the importance of considering all types of school environments; the need to take into consideration the diversity of students as recommendations are developed.This report will be of interest to local and national policymakers, school officials, teachers, and the education community, researchers, professional organizations, and parents interested in physical activity, physical education, and health for school-aged children and adolescents.
712 citations
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Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario1, National Heart Foundation of Australia2, University of Leicester3, Pennington Biomedical Research Center4, University of Cape Town5, University of Jyväskylä6, University of Auckland7, Kenyatta University8, Pedagogical University9, University of Strathclyde10, University of South Australia11
TL;DR: The Active Healthy Kids Canada (AHKC) Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth has been effective in powering the movement to get kids moving by influencing priorities, policies, and practice in Canada.
Abstract: The Active Healthy Kids Canada (AHKC) Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth has been effective in powering the movement to get kids moving by influencing priorities, policies, and practice in Canada. The AHKC Report Card process was replicated in 14 additional countries from 5 continents using 9 common indicators (Overall Physical Activity, Organized Sport Participation, Active Play, Active Transportation, Sedentary Behavior, Family and Peers, School, Community and Built Environment, and Government Strategies and Investments), a harmonized process and a standardized grading framework. The 15 Report Cards were presented at the Global Summit on the Physical Activity of Children in Toronto on May 20, 2014. The consolidated findings are summarized here in the form of a global matrix of grades. There is a large spread in grades across countries for most indicators. Countries that lead in certain indicators lag in others. Overall, the grades for indicators of physical activity (PA) around the world are low/poor. Many countries have insufficient information to assign a grade, particularly for the Active Play and Family and Peers indicators. Grades for Sedentary Behaviors are, in general, better in low income countries. The Community and Built Environment indicator received high grades in high income countries and notably lower grades in low income countries. There was a pattern of higher PA and lower sedentary behavior in countries reporting poorer infrastructure, and lower PA and higher sedentary behavior in countries reporting better infrastructure, which presents an interesting paradox. Many surveillance and research gaps and weaknesses were apparent. International cooperation and cross-fertilization is encouraged to tackle existing challenges, understand underlying mechanisms, derive innovative solutions, and overcome the expanding childhood inactivity crisis.
314 citations
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TL;DR: Early childhood and school-based interventions should integrate behavioral and environmental approaches that focus on dietary intake and physical activity using a systems-level approach targeting the multilevel structure of the socioecological model.
279 citations
Cites background from "U.S. School Travel, 2009: An Assess..."
...Active commuting to school has decreased over the time period that childhood obesity rates have risen; nearly half of kindergarten through grade 8 students walked or biked in 1969 compared with <13% in 2009.(66) Active commuting has also been associated with an increase in children’s level of physical activity....
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TL;DR: Of the various policies and built environment changes examined, the largest effects were seen with mandatory physical education, classroom activity breaks, and active commuting to school, which can help policymakers identify the best options for increasing physical activity in youth.
172 citations
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TL;DR: The 2016 United States (U.S.) report card on physical activity for children and youth as discussed by the authors provides a comprehensive evaluation of physical activity levels and factors influencing physical activity among children and adolescents.
Abstract: Background:The 2016 United States (U.S.) Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth provides a comprehensive evaluation of physical activity levels and factors influencing physical activity among children and youth.Methods:The report card includes 10 indicators: Overall Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, Active Transportation, Organized Sport Participation, Active Play, Health-related Fitness, Family and Peers, School, Community and the Built Environment, and Government Strategies and Investments. Nationally representative data were used to evaluate the indicators using a standard grading rubric.Results:Sufficient data were available to assign grades to 7 of the indicators, and these ranged from B- for Community and the Built Environment to F for Active Transportation. Overall Physical Activity received a grade of D- due to the low prevalence of meeting physical activity guidelines. A grade of D was assigned to Health-related Fitness, reflecting the low prevalence of meeting cardiorespira...
154 citations
References
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18 Dec 1985
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the methods of discrete choice analysis and their applications in the modeling of transportation systems and present a complete travel demand model system presented in chapter 11, which is intended as a graduate level text and a general professional reference.
Abstract: This book, which is intended as a graduate level text and a general professional reference, presents the methods of discrete choice analysis and their applications in the modeling of transportation systems. The first seven chapters provide a basic introduction to discrete choice analysis that covers the material needed to apply basic binary and multiple choice models. The chapters are as follows: introduction; review of the statistics of model estimation; theories of individual choice behavior; binary choice models; multinomial choice; aggregate forecasting techniques; and tests and practical issues in developing discrete choice models. The rest of the chapters cover more advanced material and culminate in the development of a complete travel demand model system presented in chapter 11. The advanced chapters are as follows: theory of sampling; aggregation and sampling of alternatives; models of multidimensional choice and the nested logit model; and systems of models. The last chapter (12) presents an overview of current research frontiers.
6,327 citations
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TL;DR: Declining rates of active transportation among school travelers represents a worrisome loss of physical activity and policymakers should continue to support programs designed to encourage children to walk to school such as Safe Routes to School and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's KidsWalk.
642 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the influence of objectively measured urban form on travel mode to school and the magnitude of influence urban form and non-urban form factors have on children's travel behavior.
Abstract: Walking and bicycling to school has decreased in recent years, while private vehicle travel has increased. Policies and programs focusing on urban form improvements such as Safe Routes to School were created to address this mode shift and possible related children’s health issues, despite minimal research showing the influence of urban form on children’s travel and health. This research examined: (1) the influence of objectively measured urban form on travel mode to school and; (2) the magnitude of influence urban form and non-urban form factors have on children’s travel behavior. The results of the analysis support the hypothesis that urban form is important but not the sole factor that influences school travel mode choice. Other factors may be equally important such as perceptions of neighborhood safety and traffic safety, household transportation options, and social/cultural norms. Odds ratios indicate that the magnitude of influence of these latter factors is greater than that of urban form; however, model improvement tests found that urban form contributed significantly to model fit. This research provides evidence that urban form is an influential factor in non-motorized travel behavior and therefore is a possible intervention to target through programs such as Safe Routes to School.
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TL;DR: The authors examined the relationship between urban form, distance, and middle school students walking and biking to and from four schools in Oregon and found that urban form helps predict travel mode to and away from school, while biking is only one factor in students' transportation decisions.
Abstract: For over 50 years the U.S. has been shifting away from small, neighborhood schools to larger schools in lower density areas. Rates of children walking and biking to school have declined significantly over this period. This study examines the relationship between urban form, distance, and middle school students walking and biking to and from four schools in Oregon. Five primary results emerge: (1) urban form helps predict travel mode to and from school; (2) middle school students walk further than planners expect; (3) many students use a different mode when they travel to school and when they leave school; (4) urban form measures that predict walking behavior differ from those that predict biking behavior; and (5) urban form is only one factor in students' transportation decisions. KW: SR2S Language: en
428 citations