Gender Influence on Students, Parents, and Teachers’ Perceptions of What Children and Adolescents in Germany Need to Cycle to School: A Concept Mapping Study

Dorothea M. I. Schönbach, Catherina Vondung, Lisan M. Hidding, Teatske M. Altenburg, Mai J. M. Chinapaw and Yolanda Demetriou
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Dorothea M. I. Schönbach: Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 80992 Munich, Germany
Catherina Vondung: Department of Natural and Sociological Sciences, Heidelberg University of Education, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Lisan M. Hidding: Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Teatske M. Altenburg: Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Mai J. M. Chinapaw: Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Yolanda Demetriou: Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 80992 Munich, Germany

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-22

Abstract: Active commuting to school is highly recommended for several reasons, and in the decision-making process for doing so, a child interacts with parents and teachers. Until now, these three interactors’ gender-specific perspectives on children and adolescents’ need for cycling to school have been unavailable. Thus, our concept mapping study analyzed the needs of 12- to 15-year-olds in Germany for cycling to and from school daily, as perceived by students, parents, and teachers stratified by gender. From November 2019 to February 2020, 136 students, 58 parents, and 29 teachers participated. Although 87.8% of girls and 100% of boys owned a bicycle, only 44.4% of girls and 72.9% of boys cycled to school. On average, girls cycled to school on 1.6 ± 2.0 days a week and boys on 2.7 ± 2.0 days a week. A “bicycle and related equipment,” the “way to school,” and “personal factors” were reported needs, perceived by students and teachers of both genders and by mothers. Girls reported the additional gender-specific need for “social behavior in road traffic,” mothers and female teachers reported “role of parents,” and female teachers reported a “sense of safety.” This study’s findings could inspire the development of school-based bicycle interventions.

Keywords: childhood; adolescence; sex; active commuting to school; bicycle (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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