Socioeconomic, personal and behavioral correlates of active commuting among adolescents

The aims of this study were to assess the relationships between commuting to and from school (active vs. passive) and their explanatory variables. A total of 2653 adolescents (1361 boys, 1292 girls; M age=13.4±2.6) participated in this study. The students were questioned about commuting to and from school, physical activity and school sports participation and perceptions of competence and health. Socioeconomic status and body mass index were calculated. Results show that a minority of the students use active transportation to and from school. Also, age increasing, participation in school sports and increasing duration were positively correlated with active commuting for both routes (to and from school). Given that active commuting may be a simple and effective way to increase physical activity level among youth populations, it is important to promote, improve conditions and create strategies in order to increase the number of students that actively commute to and from school.