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Physiology and Biochemistry

Active travelling to school is not associated with increased total daily physical activity levels, or reduced obesity and cardiovascular/pulmonary health parameters in 10–12-year olds: a cross-sectional cohort study

International Journal of Obesity volume 44, pages 1452–1466 (2020)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives

Childhood obesity has increased enormously. Several lifestyle factors have been implicated, including decreased physical activity, partially involving a decline in active travel to school. We aimed to establish the association between school transport mode and physical activity levels of primary 6 and 7 children (aged 10–12). Secondary outcomes were body mass index standard deviation scores, blood pressure levels and lung function.

Subjects/methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with a total number of 432 children from three primary schools in North East Scotland. Actigraph accelerometers were used to provide objective measures of physical activity. Ninety-two children in primary 6 and 90 children in primary 7 (40 in common) had adequate data. Modes of transport to school were assessed by a questionnaire. Two hundred and seventeen children in primary 6 and one hundred and sixty-five in primary 7 returned adequate questionnaires. Children who used active transport modes for >70% of their journeys to school over the week were coded as active travellers and <30% were coded as passive travellers. All children also had height, weight, blood pressure levels and lung function measured.

Results

Children who lived further away from school, and in more expensive properties were more likely to travel passively to school. Actively commuting children (70% walking) had significantly higher activity levels than passive commuters during the 30 min that encompassed their journey to and from school. However, there were no significant differences between active and passive school travellers in total daily physical activity, BMI SDS, and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and lung function.

Conclusions

There was no evidence that more days of active travel to school had a significant influence on total physical activity, obesity and related health parameters. Public health interventions promoting active travel to school may have limited success in quelling the childhood obesity epidemic.

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Fig. 1: Diagram showing flow of children through the study.
Fig. 2: Factors associated with passive or active method of school transport.
Fig. 3: Physical activity during the commuting time.
Fig. 4: Physical activity levels over weekdays and weekends.
Fig. 5: Intensity of Physical activity.

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Data availability

Requests for access to data should be addressed to JRS.

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Acknowledgements

We are extremely grateful to the parents and their children for taking part in the SLOSH project. We are also grateful to the regional authority and the local head teachers for permission to work in the schools, and to the individual teachers who tolerated our disruption of their classes to measure the children.

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Scottish Government Chief Scientist’s office grant CZH/4/458 b awarded to FFS and JRS. JRS was supported by a Wolfson merit award.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Xueying Zhang, Nathan A. Smith

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK

    Xueying Zhang, Nathan A. Smith, Maksymilian T. Sumowski, Julie M. Anderson, Kirstie Anderson, Euan A. Badenoch, Sarah J. Brady, Madeline Coleman, Rebecca F. Coull, Debbie Green, Rachael J. Innes, Christiane M. Laing, Rebekah Mckinley, Moira S. Mclennan, Stephanie Murray, Bethan Phillips, Sarah Rae, Sophie Rankin, Iman Satar, Sarah Shanks, Fiona J. Sim, Nicola Walker, Diane M. Jackson, Lobke M. VaanHolt, Catherine Hambly & John R. Speakman

  2. State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Xueying Zhang & John R. Speakman

  3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China

    Xueying Zhang

  4. Stonehaven Medical Centre, Robert Street, Stonehaven, AB39 2EL, UK

    David Howard

  5. Institute of Health & Society Faculty of Medical Sciences Newcastle University, Baddiley-Clark Building Richardson Road, Newcastle, NE2 4AX, UK

    Falko F. Sniehotta

  6. Chinese Academy of Sciences Center of Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Kunming, China

    John R. Speakman

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Contributions

JRS designed the SLOSH study and did the initial ethical review application. CH and JRS had overall project oversight and responsibility. NAS, MTS, RFC, BP, NW, KA, SR, SJB, MC, IS, RJI, EAB, FJS, JMA, SM, DG, SS, CML, RM and MSM, collected the data. FFS, DMJ, LMV, CH and JRS were individual project supervisors. XZ and NAS performed data cleaning and verification. NAS, XZ and JRS analysed the data. NAS, XZ, CH and JRS wrote the manuscript. The other authors contributed to the interpretation of the results and critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content and approved the final version of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript. The University of Aberdeen is the study guarantor.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Catherine Hambly or John R. Speakman.

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No support from any organisation for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organisation that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous 3 years, no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Ethical approval

The SLOSH project was granted ethical approval in November 2006 by the Grampian Local Research Ethics Committee 2 (06/S00802/118).

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The guarantors affirm that the manuscript is an honest, accurate and transparent account of the study being reported; that no important aspects of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as originally planned (and, if relevant, registered) have been explained.

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Zhang, X., Smith, N.A., Sumowski, M.T. et al. Active travelling to school is not associated with increased total daily physical activity levels, or reduced obesity and cardiovascular/pulmonary health parameters in 10–12-year olds: a cross-sectional cohort study. Int J Obes 44, 1452–1466 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-020-0571-1

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