Determinants of Active Commuting

Kayser, B. (2008). Determinants of active commuting. Preventive Medicine: An International Journal Devoted to Practice and Theory, 46(1), doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.08.016.

Comments on an article by Bringolf-Isler et al. (see record 2008-01000-014). The paper report on factors associated with active commuting to school in more than 1000 children aged 6-14 years in a German-speaking, a French-speaking, and a bilingual area in Switzerland. This study design naturally allows for separating cultural from other determinants of self-transportation. Limiting factors of the study are its cross-sectional design precluding conclusions on causality and the lack of objective measures of physical activity levels. Making physical activity the norm by rendering sedentary behavior more difficult is necessary to relieve the global burden of sedentarity-related disorders. Much remains to be researched and a major challenge subsists: to design and conduct more interventional studies which can provide evidence for best public health practices to promote walking and cycling.

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