Parent’s sociodemographic factors, physical activity and active commuting are predictors of independent mobility to school

This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness and European Regional Development Fund (DEP2016- 75598-R, MINECO/FEDER, UE) and Spanish Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (FPU17/03934). Additionally, this study was supported by funding from the University of Granada Plan Propio de Investigación 2016– Excellence actions: Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES)–and the Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de ConoIMiento, Investigación y Universidades, European Regional Development Fund (ref. SOMM17/6107/UGR). This study was also supported by the Ministry of Education of Chile CONICYT PAIMEC programme 2015 (MEC 80150030) and Postdoctoral programme “Becas Chile” 2019 (Project No 74200025) from Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo de Chile (ANID). In addition, the R&D research staff contract, within the framework of the Spanish National Youth Guarantee funded by the Junta de Andalucía and the European Social Fund.
To Chilean and Spanish schoolchildren and their parents who agreed to participate in the study. To Own Research Plan, University of Granada and Junta de Andalucía, Ministry of Knowledge, Research and Universities. Finally, the Postdoctorado 2020, “Becas Chile”, from ANID, Chile.
This study was reviewed and accepted by both the Ethical Committee of the University of Granada, Spain (code: 162/CEIH/2016) and the Ethical Committee of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile (code: CCF02052017).
Background: Independent mobility (IM) provides young people with many opportunities to increase their autonomy and physical activity (PA). This study aimed to analyse whether the parent’s PA, active commuting to work and sociodemographic factors serve as predictors of IM to school in children and adolescents. Methods: A total of 684 parents (52.8% mothers) and their offspring (56.4% girls) were included in this study, which was performed in Granada (Spain) and Valparaíso (Chile). The parents self-reported their sociodemographic characteristics, PA and mode of commuting to work. The mode of commuting to and from school and the offspring accompaniment mode were reported. T-test and chi-square test were used to study quantitative and qualitative differences by parental gender, respectively. Binary logistic regression models (odds ratio = OR) and stepwise analysis were performed to study the association between the parents’ sociodemographic variables and IM to school. Results: Adolescents showed higher IM to school than children (58.9% vs 40.2%; p < 0.001). No car availability and shorter distance to work were positively associated with higher IM to school in children (OR = 2.22 and 2.29, respectively). Mothers’ lower salary/month (OR = 2.75), no car availability (OR = 3.17), and mother passive commuting to work (OR = 2.61) were positively associated with higher IM to school in adolescents. The main predictor of IM to school in children and adolescents was no car availability (OR = 6.53). Conclusion: Parental sociodemographic factors, such as salary, distance to work and car availability, were associated more strongly with IM than parental PA and active commuting to work.
ANID
Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo de Chile
Ministry of Education of Chile CONICYT 74200025,MEC 80150030
Ministry of Knowledge, Research and Universities
Spanish Ministry of Education and Vocational Training FPU17/03934
University of Granada Plan Propio de Investigación
University of Granada and Junta de Andalucía
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad MINECO
European Social Fund ESF
European Regional Development Fund DEP2016-75598-R ERDF
Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Gobierno de España MINECO
Junta de Andalucía
Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidad, Junta de Andalucía SOMM17/6107/UGR