IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i23p8709-d449953.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Active Transport to School May Reduce Psychosomatic Symptoms in School-Aged Children: Data from Nine Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Dorota Kleszczewska

    (Institute of Mother and Child Foundation, 01-211 Warsaw, Poland)

  • Joanna Mazur

    (Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, 65-046 Zielona Góra, Poland
    Department of Child and Adolescent Health, Institute of Mother and Child, 01-211 Warsaw, Poland)

  • Jens Bucksch

    (Department of Natural and Sociological Sciences, Heidelberg University of Education, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany)

  • Anna Dzielska

    (Department of Child and Adolescent Health, Institute of Mother and Child, 01-211 Warsaw, Poland)

  • Catherina Brindley

    (Department of Natural and Sociological Sciences, Heidelberg University of Education, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany)

  • Agnieszka Michalska

    (Department of Biomedical Foundations of Development and Sexology, Faculty of Education, University of Warsaw, 01-211 Warsaw, Poland)

Abstract

It is widely proven that being physically active and avoiding sedentary behaviour help to improve adolescents’ well-being and keep them in better health in general. We aimed to investigate the relationship between modes of transport to school and subjective complaints among schoolchildren. Analyses were based on the HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) surveys conducted in 2017/18 in nine countries (N = 55,607; mean age 13.43 ± 1.64 yrs.). The main outcome showed that health complaints consisted of somatic and psychological complaints. Transport to school was characterized by mode of getting there (walking, biking, or another passive mode). A total of 46.1% of students walked and 7.3% cycled to school; 46.6% commuted by passive means. Biking to school was more frequent in Denmark (37.9%), Norway (26.5%), and Germany (26.6%). The multivariate generalized linear model adjusted for age, gender, country, and school proximity showed that biking to school is protective against reports of health complaints. The beta parameters were equal to −0.498 ( p < 0.001) for the general HBSC-SCL index, −0.208 ( p < 0.001) for the somatic complaint index, and −0.285 ( p < 0.001) for the psychological complaints index. Young people who actively commute to school are less likely to report health complaints, especially psychological symptoms.

Suggested Citation

  • Dorota Kleszczewska & Joanna Mazur & Jens Bucksch & Anna Dzielska & Catherina Brindley & Agnieszka Michalska, 2020. "Active Transport to School May Reduce Psychosomatic Symptoms in School-Aged Children: Data from Nine Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-12, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:23:p:8709-:d:449953
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/23/8709/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/23/8709/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kevin Fang & Susan Handy, 2019. "Skateboarding for transportation: exploring the factors behind an unconventional mode choice among university skateboard commuters," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 263-283, February.
    2. Dorota Kleszczewska & Agnieszka Małkowska Szkutnik & Jadwiga Siedlecka & Joanna Mazur, 2019. "Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviours and Duration of Sleep as Factors Affecting the Well-Being of Young People against the Background of Environmental Moderators," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Colin Black & Alan Collins & Martin Snell, 2001. "Encouraging Walking: The Case of Journey-to-school Trips in Compact Urban Areas," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 38(7), pages 1121-1141, June.
    4. Adilson Marques & Yolanda Demetriou & Riki Tesler & Élvio R. Gouveia & Miguel Peralta & Margarida Gaspar de Matos, 2019. "Healthy Lifestyle in Children and Adolescents and Its Association with Subjective Health Complaints: Findings from 37 Countries and Regions from the HBSC Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-14, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Pengxiang Ding & Suwei Feng, 2022. "How School Travel Affects Children’s Psychological Well-Being and Academic Achievement in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-13, October.
    2. Mukhlis Nahriri Bastam & Muhamad Razuhanafi Mat Yazid & Muhamad Nazri Borhan, 2022. "An Active School Transport Instrument to Measure Parental Intentions: The Case of Indonesia," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(20), pages 1-17, October.
    3. Ana Rodrigues & Hélio Antunes & Ricardo Alves & Ana Luísa Correia & Helder Lopes & Bebiana Sabino & Adilson Marques & Andreas Ihle & Élvio Rúbio Gouveia, 2022. "Association between the Duration of the Active Commuting to and from School, and Cognitive Performance in Urban Portuguese Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-10, November.
    4. Joachim Bachner & Xavier García-Massó & Isabel Castillo & Filip Mess & Javier Molina-García, 2022. "Do Active Commuters Feel More Competent and Vital? A Self-Organizing Maps Analysis in University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-18, June.
    5. Myung Ja Kim & C. Michael Hall, 2022. "Application of EMGB to Study Impacts of Public Green Space on Active Transport Behavior: Evidence from South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-27, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hila Beck & Riki Tesler & Sharon Barak & Daniel Sender Moran & Adilson Marques & Yossi Harel Fisch, 2021. "Can Health-Promoting Schools Contribute to Better Health Behaviors? Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Dietary Habits among Israeli Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-15, January.
    2. Elias, Wafa & Katoshevski-Cavari, Rachel, 2014. "The role of socio-economic and environmental characteristics in school-commuting behavior: A comparative study of Jewish and Arab children in Israel," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 79-87.
    3. Yizhao Yang & Steve Abbott & Marc Schlossberg, 2012. "The Influence of School Choice Policy on Active School Commuting: A Case Study of a Middle-Sized School District in Oregon," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(8), pages 1856-1874, August.
    4. Stewart, Orion & Vernez Moudon, Anne & Claybrooke, Charlotte, 2012. "Common ground: Eight factors that influence walking and biking to school," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 240-248.
    5. Raúl Baños & Antonio Baena-Extremera & Antonio Granero-Gallegos, 2019. "The Relationships between High School Subjects in terms of School Satisfaction and Academic Performance in Mexican Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-13, September.
    6. Marta Malinowska-Cieślik & Joanna Mazur & Hanna Nałęcz & Agnieszka Małkowska-Szkutnik, 2019. "Social and Behavioral Predictors of Adolescents’ Positive Attitude towards Life and Self," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-13, November.
    7. Hanan Alfawaz & Nasiruddin Khan & Alwateen Almarshad & Kaiser Wani & Muneerah A. Aljumah & Malak Nawaz Khan Khattak & Nasser M. Al-Daghri, 2020. "The Prevalence and Awareness Concerning Dietary Supplement Use among Saudi Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-14, May.
    8. Pablo Campos-Garzón & Javier Sevil-Serrano & Yaira Barranco-Ruíz & Palma Chillón, 2020. "Objective Measures to Assess Active Commuting Physical Activity to School in Young People: A Systematic Review Protocol and Practical Considerations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-10, August.
    9. Hodgson, Susan & Namdeo, Anil & Araujo-Soares, Vera & Pless-Mulloli, Tanja, 2012. "Towards an interdisciplinary science of transport and health: a case study on school travel," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 70-79.
    10. Lin, Jen-Jia & Yu, Tzu-Pen, 2011. "Built environment effects on leisure travel for children: Trip generation and travel mode," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 246-258, January.
    11. McDonald, Noreen C., 2008. "Household interactions and children’s school travel: the effect of parental work patterns on walking and biking to school," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 324-331.
    12. Ali Alamdar Moghaddam & Hamid Mirzahossein & Robert Guzik, 2022. "Comparing Inequality in Future Urban Transport Modes by Doughnut Economy Concept," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-24, November.
    13. Park, Hyunsoo & Noland, Robert B. & Lachapelle, Ugo, 2013. "Active school trips: associations with caregiver walking frequency," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 23-28.
    14. Li, Shengxiao & Zhao, Pengjun, 2015. "The determinants of commuting mode choice among school children in Beijing," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 112-121.
    15. Brigita Mieziene & Arunas Emeljanovas & Ilona Tilindiene & Laura Tumynaite & Laima Trinkuniene & Ichiro Kawachi, 2021. "The Direct and Indirect Relationships of Environmental, Interpersonal and Personal Factors with High School Students Physical Activity: An Ecological Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-16, January.
    16. Jan Dygrýn & Josef Mitáš & Aleš Gába & Lukáš Rubín & Karel Frömel, 2015. "Changes in Active Commuting to School in Czech Adolescents in Different Types of Built Environment across a 10-Year Period," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-11, October.
    17. Noreen McDonald, 2008. "Children’s mode choice for the school trip: the role of distance and school location in walking to school," Transportation, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 23-35, January.
    18. Martine Shareck & Eliana Aubé & Stephanie Sersli, 2023. "Neighborhood Physical and Social Environments and Social Inequalities in Health in Older Adolescents and Young Adults: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-20, April.
    19. Sisitha Jayasinghe & Emily J. Flies & Robert Soward & Dave Kendal & Michelle Kilpatrick & Verity Cleland & Rebecca Roberts & Fadhillah Norzahari & Melanie Davern & Timothy P. Holloway & Sandra Murray , 2022. "Physical Activity and Food Environments in and around Schools: A Case Study in Regional North-West Tasmania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-14, May.
    20. Anna Brzęk & Markus Strauss & Fabian Sanchis-Gomar & Roman Leischik, 2021. "Physical Activity, Screen Time, Sedentary and Sleeping Habits of Polish Preschoolers during the COVID-19 Pandemic and WHO’s Recommendations: An Observational Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-15, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:23:p:8709-:d:449953. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.