Active transportation: Distance between home and school

Abstract

Distance to school is the main predictor of the type of transport used by schoolchildren during their trip to the educational institution. The objective of this study was to establish the relationship between active transportation and the distance from home to the educational center in the student population in the Colombian Caribbean region. The design is cross-sectional in 3,067 elementary school students enrolled in grades one through five; a survey was applied to parents that measured the type of transportation to the school, the distance between the house and the school, the time each child spends during this journey, the existence of vehicles in the home.Active transportation to school, cycling, and walking were considered. 51.3% of schoolchildren use active transportation to get from home to school, 36.5% live at a distance greater than 1.5 km from the school.The probability of using motorized transport over distances greater than 1500 meters is greater [OR = 1.55 (95% CI 1.34-1.8)]; in runs longer than 15 minutes [OR = 1.25 (95% CI 1.1-1.45)]; and when the family has a vehicle [OR = 4.04 (95% CI 3.4-4.7)]. Active transportation in the school stage is related to the distance traveled to get from home to school daily. These results contribute to designing intersectoral and interdisciplinary interventions that increase children’s movements towards active modes.