Objective: To describe trends in active commuting to school in children from Auckland region, New Zealand following implementation of the School Travel Plan (STP) program. The program included educational initiatives, enforcement activities and urban form changes around school environments.
Methods: Active commuting to school was estimated for 57,096 students, aged 5-10 years, from 56 elementary schools. Data were drawn from surveys conducted between 2004 and 2008.
Results: There was an overall increase in active commuting by the third year of STP implementation when compared to baseline levels (40.5% to 42.2%), [OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.75-4.02]. Students of high socio-economic background improved (38.9% to 39.1%) compared to those from mid [OR=0.66, 95% CI=0.82-1.01] and low [OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.32-0.68]. STP appealed to senior (43.6% to 44.3%), [OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.15-1.53] when compared to junior elementary students. The STP was equally effective in schools with small to medium student rolls compared to large schools (34.1% to 36.5%), [OR=1.33, 95% CI = 1.09-1.63]. Schools in Auckland city (47.2% to 48.1%), [OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.20-1.70] showed significant improvements when compared to schools from North Shore City.
Conclusion: The STP was associated with increased active commuting in children after three years of implementation.
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