Pathways to Active School Travel: The Influence of Individual, Sociodemographic, and the School Neighborhood Factors
Abstract
This thesis evaluates the influence of school environment, sociodemographic, and household characteristics on the likelihood that a child will use active school travel (AST). Situated within Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the research examines intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental, and policy factors impacting AST. Data is sourced from various publicly available sources and a province-wide survey. Two studies were conducted to address the key research questions. The first study employs spatial analysis within a geographic information system (GIS) to quantify built environment attributes such as sidewalks, road length, greenness, and dwelling density. Statistical techniques reveal that student age, length of sidewalks, and outdoor temperature are significant drivers of AST. The second study focuses on trip distance and the total length of local roads around a school (within 1600m) as critical factors influencing AST. The findings from both studies suggest that certain school environment characteristics significantly impact AST, with trip distance emerging as the most important factor. These insights contribute to the understanding of how various factors at different levels influence active school travel and provide a basis for policy and intervention strategies to promote AST.