oa The effect of demographic and lifestyle factors on mode of travel in school-aged children in the UK, from understanding society database, 2009–2010

Background: Increasing levels of physical inactivity is associated with growing trends of childhood obesity as evidence suggests today's children physically inactive and unfit. The study aims to assess the effect of socio-demographic and lifestyle factors on mode of travel in school-aged children (10–15 years).

Methods: 4,497 school-aged children were selected from wave-1 of Understanding Society database in a multi-stage random sample with 81.8% response rate. Cross-sectional design was used to examine the relationship between active travel with demographic and lifestyle factors.

Results: Univariate analysis showed significant relation of age, region, smoking and eating fast food to the active commuter school-children. Multivariate adjusted analyses shows that children of ages 13 to 15 years were more likely to travel actively compared to those aged 10 to 12 years (OR = 1.92, 95%CI:1.65-2.23). Those engaged in sporting activity 3 times or more per week were more likely to be active travel compared to those less than twice per week (OR = 1.21, 95%CI:1.02-1.43). Children eating fast food once or less than per week were more likely to travel actively compared to unhealthy eaters. Most children living in their respective regions were less likely to travel actively.

Discussion: The positive association between active mode of travel and elder school children (13–15 years), who perform sport activities three times or greater per week and eating fast food once or less per week with active travel, reflect their free choice of mode of travel. Children who practiced sport more than three times per week and who ate less fast food showed healthy behaviors.