Department of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, Avda. dels Tarongers, 4, 46022, Valencia, Spain.
AFIPS research group, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2020 Sep 29;17(1):124. doi: 10.1186/s12966-020-01028-0.
Literature focusing on youth has reported limited evidence and non-conclusive associations between neighborhood walkability measures and active commuting to and from school (ACS). Moreover, there is a lack of studies evaluating both macro- and micro-scale environmental factors of the neighborhood when ACS is analyzed. Likewise, most studies on built environment attributes and ACS focus on urban areas, whereas there is a lack of studies analyzing rural residential locations. Moreover, the relationship between built environment attributes and ACS may differ in children and adolescents. Hence, this study aimed to develop walkability indexes in relation to ACS for urban and rural children and adolescents, including both macro- and micro-scale school-neighborhood factors.
A cross-sectional study of 4593 participants from Spain with a mean age of 12.2 (SD 3.6) years was carried out. Macro-scale environmental factors were evaluated using geographic information system data, and micro-scale factors were measured using observational procedures. Socio-demographic characteristics and ACS were assessed with a questionnaire. Several linear regression models were conducted, including all the possible combinations of six or less built environment factors in order to find the best walkability index.
Analyses showed that intersection density, number of four-way intersections, and residential density were positively related to ACS in urban participants, but negatively in rural participants. In rural children, positive streetscape characteristics, number of regulated crossings, traffic calming features, traffic lanes, and parking street buffers were also negatively related to ACS. In urban participants, other different factors were positively related to ACS: number of regulated crossings, positive streetscape characteristics, or crossing quality. Land use mix acted as a positive predictor only in urban adolescents. Distance to the school was a negative predictor on all the walkability indexes. However, aesthetic and social characteristics were not included in any of the indexes.
Interventions focusing on improving built environments to increase ACS behavior need to have a better understanding of the walkability components that are specifically relevant to urban or rural samples.
关注年轻人的文献报告表明，邻里可步行性测量指标与往返学校的积极通勤（ACS）之间的证据有限，关联也不明确。此外，在分析 ACS 时，缺乏评估邻里的宏观和微观环境因素的研究。同样，大多数关于建成环境属性与 ACS 的研究都集中在城市地区，而缺乏分析农村居住地点的研究。此外，建成环境属性与 ACS 之间的关系在儿童和青少年中可能不同。因此，本研究旨在为城市和农村儿童和青少年制定与 ACS 相关的步行指数，包括宏观和微观尺度的学校-邻里因素。
对来自西班牙的 4593 名参与者进行了一项横断面研究，平均年龄为 12.2 岁（SD=3.6）。使用地理信息系统数据评估宏观环境因素，使用观察程序测量微观环境因素。使用问卷调查评估社会人口特征和 ACS。进行了多个线性回归模型，包括所有可能的六个或更少的建成环境因素组合，以找到最佳步行指数。
分析表明，在城市参与者中，交叉口密度、四路交叉口数量和住宅密度与 ACS 呈正相关，但在农村参与者中呈负相关。在农村儿童中，积极的街道景观特征、有监管的交叉口数量、交通缓行特征、交通车道和停车街道缓冲区也与 ACS 呈负相关。在城市参与者中，其他不同的因素与 ACS 呈正相关：有监管的交叉口数量、积极的街道景观特征或交叉口质量。土地利用混合仅在城市青少年中起到积极的预测作用。到学校的距离是所有步行指数的负预测因子。然而，美学和社会特征没有包含在任何指数中。
为了增加 ACS 行为，需要更好地理解对城市或农村样本特别相关的步行性组成部分，以关注改善建成环境的干预措施。
