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  • Title: Walking to school: frequency and predictors among primary school children in Dunedin, New Zealand.
    Author: Yelavich S, Towns C, Burt R, Chow K, Donohue R, Sani HS, Taylor K, Gray A, Eberhart-Phillips J, Sani HS, Reeder AI.
    Journal: N Z Med J; 2008 Apr 04; 121(1271):51-8. PubMed ID: 18392062.
    Abstract:
    AIM: To estimate the frequency of walking to school among primary school children and examine associated factors. METHOD: In-class survey of Years 1-6 children attending Dunedin primary schools, November 2004, and a take home, written questionnaire for parents and caregivers. RESULTS: On study day, 34.5% of children walked to school and 36.8% intended to walk home. Overall, 1157 completed caregiver questionnaires were returned (68%) indicating that 47.5% of children walked to or from school less than three times per week. The strongest predictor of walking was proximity to school (<1 km OR 29.3, 1-2 km OR 7.7, 2-3 km OR 3.0, >3 km OR 1.00). Other predictors were not having a car in the household (OR 10.9), attending a (low socioeconomic) decile 2 to 4 school (2.35), having three or more adults in the household (1.85), being in a higher school year (1.72), having non-New Zealand European ethnicity (>1.41), having a parent who had walked to school (1.35), and being male (1.33). CONCLUSIONS: This study established a baseline for the percentage of Dunedin primary school children walking to school. Key potentially modifiable predictors of walking were proximity to school and not having a car in the household. These findings have implications for health, transport and educational policies.
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