School Bag-Related Factors and Their Implications for Walking and Cycling to School among New Zealand Adolescents

Sandra Mandic, Kaisa Kentala, Margaretha Liliana Situmorang, Mohammad Lutfur Rahman, Kimberley King, Enrique García Bengoechea, Ann-Maree Fox, Ricardo Oliveira and Kirsten J. Coppell
Additional contact information
Sandra Mandic: School of Sport and Recreation, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Kaisa Kentala: Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
Margaretha Liliana Situmorang: Department of Medicine, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
Mohammad Lutfur Rahman: School of Surveying, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
Kimberley King: Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
Enrique García Bengoechea: Physical Activity for Health Research Cluster, Health Research Institute, Department of Physical and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland
Ann-Maree Fox: Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
Ricardo Oliveira: Institute of Physical Education and Sports, University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro 20550-013, Brazil
Kirsten J. Coppell: Department of Medicine, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-15

Abstract: Excessive school bag weight may be a modifiable barrier to active transport to school. This study examined correlates of school bag weight and adolescents’ perceptions of excessive school bag weight for walking and cycling to school among New Zealand adolescents living in diverse settlement types. Adolescents ( n = 1512; 15.0 ± 1.3 years) completed a questionnaire and had their bag weight ( n = 1190) and body weight ( n = 1038) measured. Adolescents using active transport and rural adolescents had lighter school bags compared to their counterparts. One-third of adolescents reported excessive school bag weight for walking (31.2%) and cycling (37.2%) to school. Positive correlates of relative school bag weight were female gender (regression coefficient (95% CI): 0.53 (0.13, 0.93)), and underweight (2.21 (1.39, 3.02)), whereas negative correlates were Māori ethnicity (−0.87 (−1.41, −0.32)), overweight (−1.84 (−2.35, −1.34)) and obesity (−3.57 (−4.26, −2.87)), and school location in small urban areas (−2.10 (−4.19, −0.01)), and rural settlements (−3.58 (−5.66, −1.49)). Older adolescents, females, those with greater relative school bag weight, and those experiencing school bag-related pain symptoms and/or fatigue were more likely to report excessive school bag weight for both walking and cycling to school. Future initiatives should target reducing excessive school bag weight, particularly in female and urban adolescents.

Keywords: adolescents; school; walking; cycling; settlement types; school bag (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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