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Background: Environmental perceptions appear to play a role in determining behaviour in children, although their influence on active commuting remains unclear. This study examines whether attitudes, social support and environmental perceptions are associated with active commuting behaviour in school children and whether these associations are moderated by the distance to school. Methods: Data were collected as part of the SPEEDY study (Sport, Physical activity and Eating behaviour: Environmental Determinants in Young people), a cross-sectional study of 2064 children from schools in Norfolk, UK. Data regarding the usual mode of travel to school, attitudes towards and social support for active commuting, perceptions of the neighbourhood and route to school were assessed using questionnaires completed by 2012 children and their parents. Distance to school was estimated using a Geographic Information System and this was used to compare associations between personal and environmental factors and active travel, across different distance categories. Results: Forty per cent of children reported usually walking to school, with 9% cycling and the remainder using motorised travel. Parental attitudes and safety concerns, the presence of social support from parents and friends and parent-reported neighbourhood walkability were all found to be predictors of active commuting, with children receiving peer and family support and living in supportive environments being more likely to walk or cycle. There was some evidence of a moderating effect of distance whereby attitudes were more important for short distances and safety concerns long. Conclusion: Both attitudinal and environmental perceptions are associated with children⇔tm)s active commuting behaviours. Given the difficulty in modifying attitudes directly, the effect on them of interventions to provide more supportive environments should be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: School-based interventions are thought to be the most universally applicable and effective way to counteract low physical activity (PA) and fitness although there is controversy about the optimal strategy to intervene., Objectives: The objective of this review was to summarise recent reviews that aimed to increase PA or fitness in youth and carry out a systematic review of new intervention studies., Methods: Relevant systematic reviews and original controlled and randomised controlled school-based trials with a PA or fitness outcome measure, a duration of ≥12 weeks, a sufficient quality and involvement of a healthy population aged 6-18 years that were published from 2007 to 2010 were included. Results In these reviews, 47-65% of trials were found to be effective. The effect was mostly seen in school-related PA while effects outside school were often not observed or assessed., Conclusions: The school-based application of multicomponent intervention strategies was the most consistent, promising strategy, while controversy existed regarding the effectiveness of family involvement, focus on healthy populations at increased risk or duration and intensity of the intervention. All 20 trials in the review update showed a positive effect on in-school, out-of-school or overall PA, and 6 of 11 studies showed an increase in fitness. Taking into consideration both assessment quality and public health relevance, multicomponent approaches in children including family components showed the highest level of evidence for increasing overall PA. This review confirms the public health potential of high quality, school-based PA interventions for increasing PA and possibly fitness in healthy youth.

Objective: In this study, behavioural and social correlates of objectively measured sedentary time in young people were identified., Design: Cross-sectional analysis of data from the European Youth Heart Study (EYHS)., Setting: Schools in Denmark, Estonia, Portugal and Norway., Participants: Respondents were invited using a twostage cluster sampling procedure. Analyses include 2107 children (9-10 years old) and adolescents (14-15 years old). ASSESSMENT OF INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: Seven behavioural and 15 social variables assessed by parental and computerised child questionnaires., Main Outcome Measure: Sedentary activity as assessed by accelerometry (10 min blocks at <200 counts/min). Analyses were stratified by country, and interactions with grade and sex were investigated., Results: Adolescents were more sedentary than children (335.4 (90.4 min/day) vs 217.2 (75.6 min/day), p<0.001). Patterns of associations differed across countries. High computer use and no television viewing before school in Norway, and being sedentary during school breaks in Estonia were positively associated with sedentary time. No behavioural variables were associated with sedentary time in the Danish and Portuguese models. Socioeconomic position was positively associated with sedentary time in Portugal and Estonia, father's body mass index negatively in the Estonian model. Norwegian participants with a game console at home and Portuguese participants with a television in their bedroom were more sedentary., Conclusions: A single strategy aimed at reducing sedentary behaviour is unlikely to be effective across Europe as the target populations and behaviours of focus differ between countries. Targeting high socioeconomic groups in Portugal and Estonia or focusing on reducing computer use in Norway might be effective intervention strategies to reduce overall sedentary time.