Pilot evaluation of a walking school bus program in a low-income, urban community

Jason A Mendoza, David D Levinger, Brian D Johnston, Jason A Mendoza, David D Levinger, Brian D Johnston

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the impact of a walking school bus (WSB) program on student transport in a low-income, urban neighborhood.

Methods: The design was a controlled, quasi-experimental trial with consecutive cross-sectional assessments. The setting was three urban, socioeconomically disadvantaged, public elementary schools (1 intervention vs. 2 controls) in Seattle, Washington, USA. Participants were ethnically diverse students in kindergarten-5th grade (aged 5-11 years). The intervention was a WSB program consisting of a part-time WSB coordinator and parent volunteers. Students' method of transportation to school was assessed by a classroom survey at baseline and one-year follow-up. The Pearson Chi-squared test compared students transported to school at the intervention versus control schools at each time point. Due to multiple testing, we calculated adjusted p-values using the Ryan-Holm stepdown Bonferroni procedure. McNemar's test was used to examine the change from baseline to 12-month follow-up for walking versus all other forms of school transport at the intervention or control schools.

Results: At baseline, the proportions of students (n = 653) walking to the intervention (20% +/- 2%) or control schools (15% +/- 2%) did not differ (p = 0.39). At 12-month follow up, higher proportions of students (n = 643, p = 0.001)) walked to the intervention (25% +/- 2%) versus the control schools (7% +/- 1%). No significant changes were noted in the proportion of students riding in a car or taking the school bus at baseline or 12-month follow up (all p > 0.05). Comparing baseline to 12-month follow up, the numbers of students who walked to the intervention school increased while the numbers of students who used the other forms of transport did not change (p < 0.0001). In contrast, the numbers of students who walked to the control schools decreased while the numbers of students who used the other forms of transport did not change (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion: A WSB program is a promising intervention among urban, low-income elementary school students that may promote favorable changes toward active transport to school.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00402701.

References

    1. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999–2004. Jama. 2006;295:1549–1555. doi: 10.1001/jama.295.13.1549.
    1. Strong WB, Malina RM, Blimkie CJ, Daniels SR, Dishman RK, Gutin B, Hergenroeder AC, Must A, Nixon PA, Pivarnik JM, et al. Evidence based physical activity for school-age youth. J Pediatr. 2005;146:732–737. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2005.01.055.
    1. Healthy People 2010. 2. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; 2000.
    1. Cooper AR, Page AS, Foster LJ, Qahwaji D. Commuting to school: are children who walk more physically active? Am J Prev Med. 2003;25:273–276. doi: 10.1016/S0749-3797(03)00205-8.
    1. Cooper AR, Andersen LB, Wedderkopp N, Page AS, Froberg K. Physical activity levels of children who walk, cycle, or are driven to school. Am J Prev Med. 2005;29:179–184. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2005.05.009.
    1. Sirard JR, Riner WF, Jr, McIver KL, Pate RR. Physical activity and active commuting to elementary school. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2005;37:2062–2069. doi: 10.1249/01.mss.0000179102.17183.6b.
    1. Saksvig BI, Catellier DJ, Pfeiffer K, Schmitz KH, Conway T, Going S, Ward D, Strikmiller P, Treuth MS. Travel by walking before and after school and physical activity among adolescent girls. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161:153–158. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.161.2.153.
    1. Pate RR, Davis MG, Robinson TN, Stone EJ, McKenzie TL, Young JC. Promoting physical activity in children and youth: a leadership role for schools: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism (Physical Activity Committee) in collaboration with the Councils on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young and Cardiovascular Nursing. Circulation. 2006;114:1214–1224. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.177052.
    1. Kushi LH, Byers T, Doyle C, Bandera EV, McCullough M, McTiernan A, Gansler T, Andrews KS, Thun MJ. American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians. 2006;56:254–281. doi: 10.3322/canjclin.56.5.254. quiz 313-254.
    1. Fulton JE, Shisler JL, Yore MM, Caspersen CJ. Active transportation to school: findings from a national survey. Research quarterly for exercise and sport. 2005;76:352–357.
    1. Barriers to Children Walking to or from School – United States, 2004. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2005;54:949–952.
    1. McDonald NC. Active transportation to school: trends among U.S. schoolchildren, 1969–2001. Am J Prev Med. 2007;32:509–516. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2007.02.022.
    1. US Department of Transportation; Federal Highway Administration. National Personal Transportation Survey: Transportation Characteristics of School Children. Washington, DC. US Department of Transportation; 1972.
    1. Kerr J, Rosenberg D, Sallis JF, Saelens BE, Frank LD, Conway TL. Active commuting to school: Associations with environment and parental concerns. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006;38:787–794. doi: 10.1249/01.mss.0000210208.63565.73.
    1. Barriers to children walking and biking to school – United States, 1999. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2002;51:701–704.
    1. Engwicht D. Reclaiming Our Cities and Towns: Better Living With Less Traffic. Philadelphia: New Society Publishers; 1993.
    1. Jago R, Baranowski T. Non-curricular approaches for increasing physical activity in youth: a review. Prev Med. 2004;39:157–163. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.01.014.
    1. Davison KK, Werder JL, Lawson CT. Children's active commuting to school: current knowledge and future directions. Prev Chronic Dis. 2008;5:A100.
    1. Lee MC, Orenstein MR, Richardson MJ. Systematic review of active commuting to school and children's physical activity and weight. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2008;5:930–949.
    1. Rowland D, DiGuiseppi C, Gross M, Afolabi E, Roberts I. Randomised controlled trial of site specific advice on school travel patterns. Archives of disease in childhood. 2003;88:8–11. doi: 10.1136/adc.88.1.8.
    1. McKee R, Mutrie N, Crawford F, Green B. Promoting walking to school: results of a quasi-experimental trial. Journal of epidemiology and community health. 2007;61:818–823. doi: 10.1136/jech.2006.048181.
    1. Staunton CE, Hubsmith D, Kallins W. Promoting safe walking and biking to school: the Marin County success story. Am J Public Health. 2003;93:1431–1434. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.93.9.1431.
    1. Ward DS, Linnan L, Vaughn A, Neelon B, Martin SL, Fulton JE. Characteristics Associated with US Walk to School Programs: A cross-sectional study. The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity. 2007;4:67. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-4-67.
    1. Student Information Services Office. Annual Reports, 2005. Seattle, WA. Seattle Public Schools
    1. Mackett RL, Lucas L, Paskins J, Turbin J. A methodology for evaluating walking buses as an instrument of urban transport policy. Transport Policy. 2003;10:179–186. doi: 10.1016/S0967-070X(03)00019-2.
    1. Ludbrook J. Multiple comparison procedures updated. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology. 1998;25:1032–1037. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1998.tb02179.x.
    1. Sirard JR, Ainsworth BE, McIver KL, Pate RR. Prevalence of active commuting at urban and suburban elementary schools in Columbia, SC. Am J Public Health. 2005;95:236–237. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2003.034355.
    1. Cooper AR, Wedderkopp N, Wang H, Andersen LB, Froberg K, Page AS. Active travel to school and cardiovascular fitness in Danish children and adolescents. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006;38:1724–1731. doi: 10.1249/01.mss.0000229570.02037.1d.
    1. Merom D, Tudor-Locke C, Bauman A, Rissel C. Active commuting to school among NSW primary school children: implications for public health. Health & place. 2006;12:678–687. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2005.09.003.
    1. Evenson KR, Neelon B, Ball SC, Vaughn A, Ward DS. Validity and reliability of a school travel survey. Journal of physical activity & health. 2008;5:S1–15.
    1. Heelan KA, Donnelly JE, Jacobsen DJ, Mayo MS, Washburn R, Greene L. Active commuting to and from school and BMI in elementary school children-preliminary data. Child: care, health and development. 2005;31:341–349. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2005.00513.x.

Source: PubMed

Sponsoren und Mitarbeiter

Krankheiten

Drogeninterventionen

3
Abonnieren