Adolescents’ Active Transport to School and Parental Perspectives in a School Choice Policy Environment

Abstract

Internationally many adolescents do not meet the recommended level of regular physical activity. Although active transport to school (ATS) is promoted to increase physical activity in adolescents, relying solely on ATS is not feasible for those who live beyond walkable or cyclable distance to school. School choice education policies complicate the potential of ATS when adolescents do not enrol in the closest school. This research contributes to sparse New Zealand and growing international literature to examine parental perspectives on school choice, travel to school decisions and modes of travel to school in adolescents enrolled in the closest versus non-closest school.We analysed questionnaire responses from 352 parents in Dunedin, differentiating results for enrolment in the closest versus non-closest school. Overall, only 38.9% of adolescents enrolled in their closest school. The adolescents who enrolled in their closest school lived closer to school and more frequently used ATS compared to their peers who enrolled in a non-closest school (home-to-school distance (walkable (≤2.25 km)/cyclable (>2.25–4.0 km)/beyond cyclable (>4.0 km)): 47.4%/27.8%/24.8% versus 4.8%/20.3%/74.9%; p < 0.001; transport to school (active/motorised/mixed): 40.9%/56.9%/2.2% versus 9.3%/82.7%/7.9%; p < 0.001). Nearly three-quarters of school choice decisions were made by parents jointly with their adolescent. Parents whose adolescent enrolled in the closest school more frequently reported proximity to home, social connection and school’s co-educational status (only for adolescents enrolled in co-educational school) as reasons for school choice compared to their counterparts. Mixed-mode initiatives may support adolescents to increase ATS when they attend a school beyond cyclable distance.