Active Travel in Rural New Zealand: A Study of Rural Adolescents’ Perceptions of Walking and Cycling to School
Author:
Hopkins Debbie1ORCID, García Bengoechea Enrique2, Coppell Kirsten3ORCID, Spence John C4ORCID, Mandic Sandra5ORCID
Affiliation:
1. University of Oxford, UK 2. Health Research Institute, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland 3. Department of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand 4. Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, University of Alberta, Canada 5. School of Sport and Recreation, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
Abstract
Background: Walking and cycling to school have been extensively studied in urban settings, whereas data from rural areas remain sparse. This study examined perceptions of walking and cycling to school amongst adolescents living within 4.8 km of school in rural New Zealand. Methods: Adolescents (n=62; 53.2% females; 15.6±1.5 years; five schools) residing and attending a secondary school in a rural settings (population <1,000) completed an online survey about their perceptions of walking and cycling to school. Home-to-school distance was calculated using Geographic Information Systems shortest network path analysis. Results: Overall, 73% of adolescents walked and 11% cycled to school. Compared to cycling, adolescents reported a greater desire (57% vs 26%) and intention (74% vs 13%) to walk to school, and perceived more support from friends (37% vs 30%), parents (81% vs 40%), and schools (61% vs 34%) (all p<0.001). Adolescents also reported better physical infrastructure (presence/availability of footpaths vs cycle lanes) for walking versus cycling to school (86% vs 36%, p<0.001). Over 95% of adolescents perceived both walking and cycling to school as safe. Conclusions:Compared to cycling, walking to school was a more common and preferred transport mode, with greater social support and physical infrastructure, whereas both modes were perceived to be safe by rural adolescents living within 4.8 km of their school. The findings suggest that supportive social and built environments appear to encourage walking to school in rural areas. Mode-specific approaches may be required to encourage cycling to school for rural adolescents.
Publisher
University of Westminster Press
Subject
General Medicine,General Chemistry
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