Participation in Physical Education Classes and Health-Related Behaviours among Adolescents from 67 Countries

The present study sought to examine the associations between participation in physical education (PE) classes and a range of health-related behaviours among adolescents. Secondary analysis of self-reported data from the Global Student Health Survey, collected between 2010 and 2017 from 222,121 adolescents (N = 117,914 girls; 49.0%; aged 13–17 years) from 67 countries and five world regions, was carried out. Participation in PE classes (0, 1–2, ≥3 days/week) was the independent variable. Physical activity (PA); sedentary behaviour (SB); active travel to school; fruit, vegetables, and alcohol consumption; and smoking; as well as adopting ≥5 of these healthy behaviours; were the dependent variables. Complex samples logistic regressions were performed to explore the associations between participation in PE classes and health-related behaviours. The results revealed that 18.2% of adolescents did not take part in PE classes. A total of 56.7% and 25.1% of adolescents reported participating in PE classes on 1–2 and ≥3 days/week, respectively. Only 26.8% of adolescents adopted ≥5 healthy behaviours. Participation in PE classes was positively associated with PA, active travel, fruit consumption, and vegetable consumption (only for ≥3 days/week), but was negatively associated with meeting SB recommendations, and with not smoking (only for girls and ≥3 days/week). Overall, PE participation was positively associated with adopting ≥5 healthy behaviours, with favourable results found for those who attended more PE classes. The findings revealed a positive association between participation in PE classes and a range of health-related behaviours among adolescents. This suggests that, worldwide, quality PE should be delivered at least 3 days per week up to daily to promote healthy lifestyles among adolescents.

The Associations of Active Travel to School With Physical Activity and Screen Time Among Adolescents: Do Individual and Parental Characteristics Matter?

Little is known about the relationship of active travel to school (ATS) with physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) by individual and parental characteristics among adolescents, especially in China. To address the research gap, this study aimed to explore the difference of sex, age, living environment, parental occupation and education level in the relationship of ATS with PA and ST among students of grades 7–12 (aged 10–18 years) using cross-sectional data. In 13 cities of Hubei province, China, students from 39 public schools were recruited to engage in the survey. In total, 5,898 students (response rate = 89.6%) were invited into this study. Participants were required to report their ATS (including its types), PA and ST as well as sociodemographic information using a validated questionnaire. Descriptive analyses were used to report the information of all variables. Regression models were used to analyse the relationships of ATS and its types with PA and ST. In a total of 4,128 participants (boys: 50.9%; younger adolescents: 61.9%) included in the final analysis, the proportion of those with ATS was 47.3%. Regarding the types of ATS, walking accounted for over 30%, while cycling was 13.2%. Participants with ATS were more likely to have sufficient PA (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.14–1.39), especially among boys, younger adolescents and those with lower parental education level. However, ATS was not associated with ST (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.86–1.01). Participants with cycling had a higher odds ratio of being physically active (OR for cycling = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.27–1.70; OR for walking = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.06–1.32). The association of ATS types with PA and ST differed by gender, age, living environment and parental educational level as well as occupations. ATS may be a useful approach to increase PA among adolescents, but this should be explained by individual and parental characteristics.

Systematic Review of Active Travel to School Surveillance in the United States And Canada

Active travel to school is one way youth can incorporate physical activity into their daily schedule. It is unclear the extent to which active travel to school is systematically monitored at local, state, or national levels. To determine the extent of active travel to school surveillance in North America and catalog the types of measures captured, we conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature documenting active travel to school surveillance published from 2004 to February 2018. A study was included if it addressed children’s school travel mode across two or more time-periods in North America. Criteria were applied to determine whether a data source was considered an active travel to school surveillance system. We identified 15 unique data sources; 4 of these met our surveillance system criteria. One system is conducted in the US, is nationally representative, and occurs every 5-8 years. Three are conducted in Canada, are limited geographically to regions and provinces, and are administered with greater frequency (e.g., 2-year cycles). School travel mode was the primary measure assessed, most commonly through parent report. None of the systems collected data on school policies or program supports related to active travel to school. We conclude that incorporating questions related to active travel to school behaviors into existing surveillance systems, and maintaining them over time, would enable more consistent monitoring. Concurrently capturing behavioral information along with related environmental, policy, and program supports may inform efforts to promote active travel to school.

Implementation contextual factors related to community-based active travel to school interventions: a mixed methods interview study

Background Active travel to school contributes to multiple physical and psychosocial benefits for youth, yet population rates of active travel to school are alarmingly low in the USA and many other countries. Though walking school bus interventions are effective for increasing rates of active travel to school and children’s overall physical activity, uptake of such interventions has been low. The objective of this study was to conduct a mixed methods implementation evaluation to identify contextual factors that serve as barriers and facilitators among existing walking school bus programs. Methods Semi-structured interviews guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) were conducted with leaders of low-sustainability (n = 9) and high-sustainability (n = 11) programs across the USA. A combination of quantitative (CFIR-based) coding and inductive thematic analysis was used. The CFIR-based ratings were compared between the low- and high-sustainability programs and themes, subthemes, and exemplary quotes were provided to summarize the thematic analysis. Results In both the low- and high-sustainability programs, three of the 15 constructs assessed were commonly rated as positive (i.e., favorable for supporting implementation): student/family needs and resources, implementation climate, and planning. Three constructs were more often rated as positive in the high-sustainability programs: organizational incentives and rewards, engaging students and parents, and reflecting and evaluating. Three constructs were more often rated as positive in the low-sustainability programs: student/family needs and resources - built environment, available resources, and access to knowledge and information. Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis: planning considerations, ongoing coordination considerations, resources and supports, and benefits. Conclusions Engagement of students, parents, and community members were among the factors that emerged across the quantitative and qualitative analyses as most critical for supporting walking school bus program implementation. The information provided by program leaders can help in the selection of implementation strategies that overcome known barriers for increasing the long-term success of community-based physical activity interventions such as the walking school bus.

Neighborhood Effects of Safe Routes to School Programs on the Likelihood of Active Travel to School

Safe routes to school (SRTS) programs aim to increase the share of students commuting to school by active modes (e.g., walking and cycling). This study measures the relationship between the presence of SRTS programs in a neighborhood and children’s journey-to-school mode choice. Children were identified from households in the 2012 California Household Travel Survey and they were classified based on whether they commuted to school by active modes. Next, census tracts with SRTS programs were identified based on the presence of data in the National Center for Safe Routes to School (NCSRTS) data collection system. Based on these two datasets, a logistic regression model estimated the likelihood that a child commuted to school by active modes, based on the presence of a SRTS program and controlling for individual, household, and tract characteristics. This analysis was supplemented with stakeholder interviews about the nature of SRTS programs within the study area and how they are perceived. Findings indicate that longer trip distance and race (relative to white students) are associated with reduced rates of active travel to school, but that these differences are mitigated by the presence of SRTS programs. Interviews suggest SRTS programs in the study area primarily emphasize education and encouragement rather than engineering interventions. It was concluded that the effect of such SRTS programming might best be described as reducing barriers to active school travel rather than simply increasing the likelihood of using active modes.

Sustainable Mobility Promotion During COVID-19

With the recent COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Korea, surveys have reported rising issues with physical inactivity and obesity, social isolation, and economic depression. We analyzed the implications of active mobility and attuned it towards Korean society, exploring the possible scenarios, cases, and policies. Our research recommended active mobility to be an effective solution. Originally, the keywords used in Google Scholar were COVID-19, active mobility, and physical activity. To add more depth, active transport and active travel were inserted later on. The physical activity guideline, socioeconomic and environmental mechanisms were explored by scouring through documents published by various institutions and local authorities. Other cases about active mobility were summarized, while policy interventions, such as utilizing active travel to school were suggested. Sustainable Transport strives for the development of efficient methods of personal mobility on three major fronts: economic growth, environmental preservation (13 SDGs), and social development. Since the emergence of COVID-19, cases of sustainable active mobility have increased; countries utilizing WHO’s Health Impact Assessment (HIA) to find ways to improve health and well-being. Based on the recent development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), infrastructure, and the legal system in Korea, the country needs to implement safe methods for active mobility to develop further. Sustainable mobility could positively address the problems that arose with the emergence of COVID-19. Using good cases with a careful application to Korean society is necessary. Some policy interventions including active travel to school could be applicable with careful preparation and participation. Prudent advocacy from the government is also needed to promote new regulations. When we read about COVID-19 rapidly spreading across Europe, especially Italy, both researchers were alarmed at the news. As time passed, we were intrigued by the quick reaction of the governments to guide their cities from electric vehicles to sustainable transport. Through this paper, we were able to learn more in-depth details about Italy’s big cities and how they achieved homogeneous awareness regarding sustainable mobility (Table 1). Was COVID-19 the trigger? However, due to the different socioeconomic aspects between Italy and South Korea, the root cause was difficult to discern. We would recommend that future research addresses more comprehensive aspects for foreigners to learn from the study.