The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on June 17, 2009
The European Journal of Public Health, doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckp048
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Socio-economic factors and active commuting to school in urban Spanish adolescents: the AVENA study
Palma Chillón1, Francisco B. Ortega2,3, Jonatan R. Ruiz2,3, Isaac J. Pérez1, Miguel Martín-Matillas1, Jara Valtueña4, Sonia Gómez-Martínez5, Carlos Redondo6, Juan P. Rey-López7, Manuel J. Castillo2, Pablo Tercedor1, Manuel Delgado1 and AVENA Study Group*
1 Department of Physical Education and Sport, School of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
2 Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
3 Department of Biosciences and Nutrition at NOVUM, Unit for Preventive Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
4 Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
5 Department of Metabolism and Nutrition, Instituto del Frio, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
6 Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
7 School of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
Correspondence: Palma Chillón Garzón Department of Physical Education and Sport, School of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Ctra. Alfacar s/n Granada 18011 Spain, tel: +34 958 24 43 74, fax: +34 958 24 43 69, e-mail: pchillon{at}ugr.es
Received September 30, 2008 , accepted March 19, 2009
Background: This study aimed: (i) to describe the patterns of commuting to school in urban Spanish adolescents; and (ii) to examine the associations between active commuting to school (ACS) and socio-economic factors.
Methods: From the AVENA Study, 2183 adolescents (1142 females) aged 13–18.5 years were gathered. Mode and time of transportation to school were self-reported by the adolescents. Parental education level (primary, secondary or university degree), parental professional level (managerial, skilled worker or unskilled worker/unemployed) and the type of school (public or private) were self-reported by the parents. The relationships between ACS and socio-economic factors were analysed by binary logistic regression.
Results: Nearly <65% of the adolescents reported ACS and 83% of them spent <15 min travelling to school. In male adolescents, maternal primary education level showed an odds ratio (OR) of 1.55 (95% confidence interval, 1.12–2.15), with respect to mothers with a university degree. In female adolescents, mothers with a primary education level showed an OR of 0.68 (0.50–0.92), with respect to mothers with a university degree. Low maternal professional level showed an OR of 1.70 (1.29–2.24), with respect to high maternal professional levels. Students attending public schools showed an OR of 3.47 (2.46–4.90), with respect to students from private schools.
Conclusion: Most of the adolescents actively commuted to school, yet the time spent commuting was low. Socio-economic level seems to be inversely related to the ACS in adolescents. Type of school and maternal educational level were the main predictors of ACS.
Keywords: active commuting, adolescence, physical activity, socio-economic factors.
*The members of the AVENA Study Group are listed in Appendix 1.