Aerobic Fitness and Mode of Travel to School in English Schoolchildren

Christine Voss · GAVIN R. H. SANDERCOCK

105 citations0/0 files storedMedicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

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Urban Transport and Accessibility Physical Activity and Health Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet

Abstract

PURPOSE: Cycling to school is positively associated with aerobic fitness in Danish schoolchildren and adolescents. The aim of the present study was to determine whether a positive association exists between active travel and aerobic fitness in English schoolchildren, where cycling to school is rare. METHODS: Participants (n = 6085, 47% girls, aged 10.0-15.9 yr) were recruited as part of the East of England Healthy Hearts study. Mass and stature were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Aerobic fitness was assessed using the 20-m shuttle run test (20-mSRT); mode of travel to school and physical activity (PA) were assessed by a questionnaire. Differences in BMI, PA, and fitness by travel mode were assessed by ANOVA and ANCOVA. Participants were categorized as "fit" or "unfit" on the basis of existing cutoffs related to adult health. Logistic regression was applied to calculate age, BMI, and PA-adjusted odds of being classified as fit according to travel mode. RESULTS: Walking was the most common travel mode to school (50%), and cycling was least frequent (8%). Walkers and cyclists of both sexes were significantly fitter than passive transport users, even after controlling for PA. Walking and cycling were associated with an increased likelihood of being categorized as fit in boys and girls. After adjustment for PA, this association remained significant only in girls. No association was observed between travel mode and BMI. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm findings from countries where cycling is very common in showing that cycling to school is positively associated with aerobic fitness. This study adds to the existing literature by showing that walkers and cyclists are more likely to be classified as fit using recognized cut points. Those who walk and cycle to school may, therefore, be at reduced risk for developing chronic diseases in adulthood.

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References

2007Active Transportation to SchoolTrends Among U.S. Schoolchildren, 1969–2001 2008Active school transport, physical activity levels and body weight of children and youth: A systematic review 2003Commuting to school 2005Physical Activity Levels of Children Who Walk, Cycle, or Are Driven to School 2007Trends in Australian children traveling to school 1971–2003: Burning petrol or carbohydrates?2006Active Travel to School and Cardiovascular Fitness in Danish Children and Adolescents 2008Walking and Bicycling to School: A Review 2002Barriers to Children Walking and Biking to School—United States, 1999

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2016Gamification of active travel to school: A pilot evaluation of the Beat the Street physical activity intervention 2012Six-Year Trend in Active Commuting to School in Spanish Adolescents 2015School‐ and Family‐Level Socioeconomic Status and Health Behaviors: Multilevel Analysis of a National Survey in Wales, United Kingdom 2013Multistate Evaluation of Safe Routes to School Programs 2012Individual, social and physical environmental correlates of 'never' and 'always' cycling to school among 10 to 12 year old children living within a 3.0 km distance from school

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