Samenvatting
Background
Environmental factors are found to influence transport-related physical activity, but have rarely been studied in relation with cycling for transport to various destinations in 10-12 yr old children. The current qualitative study used bike-alongs with children and parents to allow discussion of detailed environmental factors that influence children's cycling for transport, while cycling in the target-environment.
Methods
Purposeful convenience sampling was used to recruit 35 children and one of their parents residing in (semi-)urban areas. Bike-alongs were conducted to and from a randomly chosen destination (e.g. library) within a 15 minutes' cycle trip in the participant's neighborhood. Participants wore a GoPro camera to objectively assess environmental elements, which were subsequently discussed with participants.
Results
The discussed environmental factors were categorized as road safety, personal safety, cycling facilities, aesthetics, connectivity, distance to destination and weather. Across these categories many environmental factors were (in)directly linked to road safety. This was illustrated by detailed discussions of the children's visibility, familiarity with specific traffic situations, and degree of separation, width and legibility of cycle facilities. Other discussed environmental factors were of minor importance to road safety.
Conclusions
Physical environmental factors were discussed with a major concern of road safety. Bike-alongs were able to identify new detailed and context-specific physical environmental factors which could inform policy makers promoting children's cycling for transport. However, future studies should investigate if such physical environmental changes influence perceptions of safety and if this in turn could lead to changes in children's cycling for transport.
Environmental factors are found to influence transport-related physical activity, but have rarely been studied in relation with cycling for transport to various destinations in 10-12 yr old children. The current qualitative study used bike-alongs with children and parents to allow discussion of detailed environmental factors that influence children's cycling for transport, while cycling in the target-environment.
Methods
Purposeful convenience sampling was used to recruit 35 children and one of their parents residing in (semi-)urban areas. Bike-alongs were conducted to and from a randomly chosen destination (e.g. library) within a 15 minutes' cycle trip in the participant's neighborhood. Participants wore a GoPro camera to objectively assess environmental elements, which were subsequently discussed with participants.
Results
The discussed environmental factors were categorized as road safety, personal safety, cycling facilities, aesthetics, connectivity, distance to destination and weather. Across these categories many environmental factors were (in)directly linked to road safety. This was illustrated by detailed discussions of the children's visibility, familiarity with specific traffic situations, and degree of separation, width and legibility of cycle facilities. Other discussed environmental factors were of minor importance to road safety.
Conclusions
Physical environmental factors were discussed with a major concern of road safety. Bike-alongs were able to identify new detailed and context-specific physical environmental factors which could inform policy makers promoting children's cycling for transport. However, future studies should investigate if such physical environmental changes influence perceptions of safety and if this in turn could lead to changes in children's cycling for transport.
| Originele taal-2 | English |
|---|---|
| Titel | Unknown |
| Status | Published - 28 nov 2013 |
| Evenement | Unknown - Duur: 28 nov 2013 → … |
Conference
| Conference | Unknown |
|---|---|
| Periode | 28/11/13 → … |