Transcript Slide 1

Research Results on School Environment and
Active Transportation to School
Active Living Research
www.activelivingresearch.org
A national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Any of the slides contained in this set are available for public use. If you have comments or
questions about a particular slide, please contact Debbie Lou at [email protected]
Recent evaluations of Safe Routes to Schools projects in California suggest that improvements in
sidewalks and street crossings, as well as traffic calming, increase the number of students who
walk to school.
More parents report children walking or biking to school after
Safe Routes to Schools project completion
% change in walking or biking to school
50%
45%
40%
35%
28.6%
30%
25%
19%
20%
20.6%
15.6%
13.7%
15%
10%
11.6%
12%
10.9%
6.7%
3.1%
5%
0%
Juan
Cabrillo
Murrieta Sheldon
Valley
West
Glenoaks Jasper
Randall
Mt.
Vernon
Cesar
Chavez
Newman
Boarnet MG, Anderson CL, Day K, McMillan T, Alfonzo M. Evaluation of the California Safe Routes to School Legislation: Urban form changes
and children’s active transportation to school. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2005; 28(2S2):134-140.
A study of elementary school students in North Carolina found students’
observed on-task classroom behavior improved with daily 10- minute physical
activity breaks.
Elementary students' on-task classroom behavior
improves with physical activity breaks
Percent improvement in on-task behavior
25%
physical activity
breaks, off-task
students
20%
15%
physical activity
breaks,
students overall
10%
20%
8%
5%
breaks with
no physical activity
0%
-3%
-5%
Mahar MT, Murphy SK, et al. Effects of a classroom-based program on physical activity and on-task behavior. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 2006;
38:2086-2094.
Number of accidents
A review of a study* on 104 safe routes to school projects in Odense, Denmark found the number of accidents was
reduced from 335 before the projects were implemented to 237 after the projects were implemented. This was an
18% overall reduction.
335
237
Before
After
Implementation of safe routes to school projects
Interventions included speed reducing measures, raised junctions, and installation
of traffic signals at junctions
Andersson PK, Jensen SU. Evaluering af skolevejsprojekter I Odense Kommune. Atkins, Denmark, 2002. Cited in Jensen SU.
How to obtain a healthy journey to school. Transportation Research Part A 2008; 42: 475-486.
.
A 2007 cross-sectional study of low-income and
minority youth (N=14,553) using data from the 2001
National Household Travel Survey found youth who
live within a half mile of school had a greater
likelihood of walking of biking to school, even after
controlling for socioeconomic status and neighborhood
covariates.
McDonald NC. Critical factors for active transportation to school among low-income and minority students:
Evidence from the 2001 National Household Travel Survey. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2008; 34(4):
341-344.
Why did local school wellness policies have minimal
impact on physical activity in rural Colorado
elementary schools?
•Focus on academic achievement and No Child Left Behind
•School board’s model policy language was weak and minimalist,
resulting in missed opportunities to unite stakeholders
•Competing priorities
•Principals’ lack of knowledge about the Local Wellness Policy
•Lack of financial resources for implementation
•Lack of accountability mechanisms
Belansky ES, Cutforth N, Delong E, et al. Early impact of the federally mandated local wellness policy on
physical activity in rural, low-income elementary schools in Colorado. Journal of Public Health Policy 2009;
30(S1): S141-S160.
ALR Funded
% Passed English or Math Tests
A study of Massachusetts school children in grades 4-8 (N=1847)
found the likelihood of passing academic tests increased for each
1-unit increase in number of fitness tests passed
100
80
60
40
Math
English
20
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
Number of fitness tests passed
Chomitz V, Slining M, et al. Is there a relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement? Positive results from public school children in the
northeastern United States. Journal of School Health 2009;79(1): 30-37.
A study of more than 2.4 million Texas students in grades 3 to 12 found student fitness* and
BMI levels correlate with academic test performance, attendance and disciplinary incidents
0.6
0.54
0.52
0.4
Correlation coefficients
0.30
0.18
0.2
Fewer disciplinary incidents
0.0
Higher scores on academic
achievement tests
Better attendance
-0.2
-0.24
-0.4
Healthy fitness zone for cardiovascular
health
Healthy fitness zone for BMI
-0.52
-0.6
*Measured by FITNESSGRAM® tests based on walking or running and adjusted for age and gender
Welk G. Cardiovascular fitness and body mass index are associated with academic achievement in schools. Dallas, Texas: Cooper
Institute, March 2009.
http://www.cooperinstitute.org/ourkidshealth/index.cfm
Percentage of time spent in physical activity
A 2005 playground intervention study of preschoolers (N=64) in Salt Lake City
found that the amount of time engaged in light, moderate, and vigorous intensity
physical activity* increased significantly with the introduction of play equipment.
40%
35%
34%
Pre-intervention
Post-intervention
31%
30%
25%
20%
18%
15%
10%
10%
7%
5%
2%
0%
Light
Moderate
Vigorous
Physical activity intensity
*Measured with accelerometers
Hannon JC, Brown BB. Increasing preschoolers’ physical activity intensities: An activity-friendly preschool playground intervention. Preventive Medicine
2009; 46:532-536.
Likelihood of increasing walking or biking to school
(Odds ratio)
Adolescents in Melbourne, Australia (N=188) are more likely to increase active
commuting (walking and biking) to school if their parents are satisfied with the
number of traffic lights and pedestrian crossings in their neighborhood
3
Referent
2.4
2.5
2
1.5
1
1
No traffic lights or
crossings
Adequate
number of
crossings
1
0.5
0.4
0
Hume C, Timperio A, et al. Walking and cycling to school: Predictors of increases among children and adolescents. American Journal of
Preventive Medicine 2009;26(3): 195-200
Factors related to successful implementation of Texas
Senate Bill 19 Coordinated School Health Policy*
•Support from local community organizations
•Continued follow-up, evaluation, and refinement
*Based on interviews with 169 principals, assistant principals, nurses, PE teachers, faculty, and counselors
Kelder SH, Springer AS, Barroso CS et al. Implementation of Texas Senate Bill 19 to increase physical activity in
elementary schools. Journal of Public Health Policy 2009; 30(S1): S221-S247.
ALR Funded
Key correlates of walking to/from school
among elementary school students
in Austin, TX (N=2695)
Odds ratio
Physical environmental factors: perceived safety and walkability
Distance close enough (0=no,1=yes) 4.0***
Safety concerns .78***
Presence of physical barriers (0=no, 1=yes)
highway or freeway .62*
Presence of land uses en route (0=no,1=yes)
convenience store .58***
office building .59*
Presence of bus stop en route (0=no,1=yes)
.74*
Personal sociodemographic factors:
Parents’ highest education level (range 1-7) .82***
*P<0.05; **P<0.01; ***P<0.001
Zhu X, Lee C. Correlates of walking to school and implications for public policies: Survey results from parents of elementary
school children in Austin, Texas. Journal of Public Health Policy 2009; 30(S1): S177-S202.
ALR Funded
A New York City study of more than 600,000 students in grades K to 8 found
academic test scores increase with physical fitness scores* across all weight
categories
Academic test score percentile
70
60
50
40
Healthy Weight
Overweight
Obese
30
20
10
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
NYC FITNESSGRAM percentile
* Data from 2007-8 NYC FITNESSGRAM reports
NYC Vital Signs special report, New York City Health Dept & Dept of Ed, June 2009
100
Additional minutes of PE provided
A study of 8935 fifth-grade children using self-reported data from the Early Childhood
Longitudinal Survey Kindergarten Cohort found children who attended schools with
gymnasiums had 8.3 minutes more PE per week than schools without gymnasiums.
Schools with gymnasiums in humid climate zones provided even more time in PE (17.4
minutes more in hot-humid zones and 25 minutes more in mixed-humid zones).
30
25
25
20
17.4
15
10
8.3
5
0
Cold zones
Hot-humid
zones
Dry or hothumid zones
Schools with gymnasiums
Fernandes M, Sturm R. Facility provision in elementary schools: Correlates with physical education, recess, and obesity. Preventive
Medicine 2010; 50(S1): S30-S35.
Likelihood of being classified as fit
(Odds ratio)
A study of 6085 English schoolchildren ages 10 to 16 years found girls who walked or
biked to school were more likely to be classified as fit* compared with girls who used
passive transport. Girls who biked were nearly 10 times more likely of being fit.
12
10
10
8
6
4
2
1.3
1
0
Walk
Bike
Passive
Transport Mode
*Fitness measured by FITNESSGRAM PACER protocol
Voss C and Sandercock G. Aerobic fitness and mode of travel to school in English schoolchildren. Medicine & Science in Sports &
Exercise 2010; 281-287.
Physical activity levels are higher in PE classes in states with high school PE requirements
Additional Minutes of Activity Time
A study comparing state PE requirements and nationwide data from the Youth Behavior Surveillance System (for
1999, 2001, and 2003) found that high school students with a binding PE requirement were physically active in PE
class an average of 37 additional minutes per week for boys and 27 minutes per week for boys.
Cawley J, Meyerhoefer C and Newhouse D. The correlation of youth physical activity with state policies.
Contemporary Economic Policy;.16(12):1287-1301, 2007.
FCAT Score for Math
(Florida Comprehensive Achievement)
Test)
A study of 1197 low-income elementary school children in Osceola, Florida found children who
participated in a school-based obesity prevention intervention were significantly more likely to
score higher on a standardized math test than children who did not participate.
Hollar D, et al. Effect of a two-year obesity prevention intervention on percentile changes in body mass index and academic performance in low-income
elementary school children. American Journal of Public Health 2010; 100(4): 646-653.
Changes in physical activity (PA) and sedentary time after school-wide PA promotion
Additional Minutes
The Intervention Centered on Adolescents’ Physical Activity and Sedentary behavior, or ICAPS*,
was conducted in eight randomly selected schools in eastern France. After only six months,
physical activity outside of PE class increased by 16 minutes per week for adolescents in the ICAPS
schools.
Intervention Girls
Control Girls
Intervention Boys
Control Boys
* ICAPS included partnerships among schools boards, teachers, recreation professionals, medical staffs, and others,
and consisted of an educational component, additional opportunities for physical activity during schools hours, and
reduction of barriers for after-school participation.
Simon C, Wagner A, DiVita C, Rauscher E, Klein-Platat C, Arveiler D et al. Intervention centered on adolescents’ physical activity and
sedentary behavior (ICAPS): concepts and 6-months results. International Journal of Obesity. 2004; 28:S96-S103
Mile time (minutes)
Less minutes/mile=greater fitness
A study of 9,268 low-income, predominantly Latino seventh and ninth grade students in
California found students who had a full year of PE, enjoyed PE, walked to school, and
used school grounds outside of school hours were significantly more likely to have greater
fitness.
*Significant results found among seventh grade students
Madsen KA et al. Physical activity opportunities associated with fitness and weight status among adolescents in low-income communities.
Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine 2009; 163(11): 1014-1021.
A national study of 8,246 children in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades found that boys and girls who do not meet NASPE
recommended levels have a higher predicted BMI percentile than those who do; however the difference is only
statistically significant for boys
Predicted BMI Percentile Trajectory by Gender and Meeting the
NASPE Recommended Levels for PE or Recess
Fernandes M. and Sturm R. The Role of School Physical Activity Programs in Child Body Mass Trajectory. Journal of
Physical Activity and Health 2011;8(2): 174–181. ALR Funded.
Teacher Ratings of Class Behavior
A study of 15,305 children ages eight to nine years shows that children
who had some recess had significantly better classroom behavior*
compared with children who had no recess.
*Classroom behavior was based on teacher’s ratings
Barros RM et al. School Recess and Group Classroom Behavior. Pediatrics 2009; 123:431-436
A study of 1700 adolescents in five Spanish cities found that girls, but not boys, who
actively commuted to school (walked or biked)* had significantly better cognitive
performance** than girls that did not actively commute to school.
*Active commuters were students who indicated that their usual mode of travel to school was walking or biking
**Cognitive performance was measured using the Spanish version of the SRA Test of Educational Ability, which evaluates verbal,
numeric, and reasoning abilities.
Martinez-Gomez D et al. Active Commuting to School and Cognitive Performance in Adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2010; E1-E6.
Walking School Bus Increases Percent of Weekly Trips Spent Walking or Biking to School
% of weekly trips actively commuting
A study* of 149 fourth-graders at eight elementary schools in Houston, TX found that students who
participated in a Walking School Bus (WSB) program increased their rates of walking to school by
30%. This was in contrast to students who did not participate in the Walking School Bus program
whose rates of walking or biking to school decreased by 7%.
*This is the first study to report a cluster randomized control trial of a walking school bus intervention that resulted in increased rates of
children’s active commuting to school.
Mendoza JA et al. The Walking School Bus and Children’s Physical Activity: A Pilot Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. Pediatrics. Originally published online
August 22, 2011 ; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2010-3486
Total Daily Minutes of MVPA
Walking School Bus Increases Time Spent in Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity
A study* of 149 fourth-graders at eight elementary schools in Houston, TX found that students
who participated in a Walking School Bus (WSB) program increased their daily amount of
moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) by 2 minutes, whereas the children who did not
participate decreased their amount of MVPA by 5 minutes.
*This is the first study to report a cluster randomized control trial of a walking school bus intervention that resulted in increased time spent
in daily MVPA.
Mendoza JA et al. The Walking School Bus and Children’s Physical Activity: A Pilot Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. Pediatrics. Originally published online
August 22, 2011 ; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2010-3486
Adolescent girls who walk or bike to school have better cognitive performance
Average Scores of Overall Cognitive Performance
A study of 1700 adolescents in Spain found that girls who actively commuted to school (ACS) by walking or
biking performed better on cognitive performance tests (verbal, numerical, and reasoning abilities) than girls
who did not actively commute.
Martinez-Gomez D. et al. Active Commuting to School and Cognitive Performance in Adolescents. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent
Medicine. Published online December 6, 2010. DOI:10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.244
Percent of first-graders active at recess
Findings from an intervention at a Florida elementary school show that 96% of the school's first-graders
were active during recess in 2011 after the intervention , compared with 52% of first graders being
active during recess in 2008 before the intervention. The intervention used Peaceful Playgrounds, a
program specifically designed to promote active play and structured activities by employing a wide
variety of multi-use stenciled shapes, grids and games painted onto the ground.
Study results published by NACCHO, Peaceful Playgrounds: Using Evidence-Based Strategies and Quality Improvement to
Address Childhood Obesity in Florida: http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/pdf/naccho-obesity-study.pdf