Active Commuting and Healthy Behavior among Adolescents in Neighborhoods with Varying Socioeconomic Status: The NESLA Study

Benti Geleta Buli, Annika Tillander, Terence Fell and Katarina Bälter
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Benti Geleta Buli: Division of Public Health Sciences, Mälardalen University, 722 20 Västerås, Sweden
Annika Tillander: Department of Computer and Information Science, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
Terence Fell: Division of Economics and Political Science, Mälardalen University, 722 20 Västerås, Sweden
Katarina Bälter: Division of Public Health Sciences, Mälardalen University, 722 20 Västerås, Sweden

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: (1) Background: The World Health Organization recommends active commuting as a source of physical activity. Active commuting is determined by various factors, including the socioeconomic status (SES) of families and neighborhoods, distance to schools, perceived neighborhood safety, lifestyles and availability of walkways and biking paths. This study aimed to assess factors associated with modes of transportation to and from school among adolescents aged 16–19 living in a middle-sized city in Sweden. (2) Method: Three hundred and fourteen students, of whom 55% were females, from schools in the city of Västerås participated in the study. Printed as well as web-based self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. (3) Results: Adolescents living in high SES neighborhoods were 80% more likely to bike or walk to school (OR = 1.80; CI: 1.01, 3.20) than adolescents living in low SES neighborhoods. Furthermore, active commuting was associated with higher consumption of fruits and vegetables (OR = 1.77; CI: 1.05, 2.97) and less consumption of junk foods (OR = 0.43; CI: 0.26, 0.71), as compared to passive commuting. (4) Conclusions: Active commuting is a cost-effective and sustainable source of regular physical activity and should be encouraged at a societal level.

Keywords: active transport; school; lifestyle; health; environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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