Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Active And Safe Routes To School: Evaluating School Travel Planning To Support Children's Active Travel, Adrian Nicholas Buttazzoni

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Most Canadian children are not achieving their daily recommended physical activity (PA) levels despite the many emotional, psychological, and physical benefits of PA. Walking or wheeling to/from school, or active school travel (AST), is a viable method for improving children’s daily participation in PA. In Canada, the Active and Safe Routes to School initiative promotes AST through its comprehensive School Travel Planning (STP) program. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, broadly, this thesis investigates the i) implementation and ii) effectiveness of a regional, two-year STP program supporting AST. This thesis includes a systematic review of AST intervention models implemented in North America, …

Examining Geographic Variation In Children's Perceived Barriers To Physical Activity And The Implications On Behaviour, Leah Gabrielle Taylor

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Low levels of physical activity among Canadian children has become a national public health issue. Recent research has suggested that children’s physical activity levels are associated with their perceptions of their everyday environments. A better understanding of the formation of these perceptions within different contexts is needed to explain the extent of the relationship. Using a multi-tool quantitative protocol, this thesis examines geographic variation in socio-ecological factors influencing children’s perceptions of barriers to PA, and the extent to which perceptions mediate the relationship of the environment and PA. Results indicate that perceptions form within contexts, and have an influence on …

Exploring Factors Influencing Children's Use Of A Free Recreation Access Pass: Does Geography Matter?, Joannah M. Campbell

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Only a small proportion of Canadian children achieve the recommend daily minimum amount of moderate-vigorous physical activity (PA). The Grade 5 ACT-i-Pass (G5AP) program in London, Ontario offers fifth-grade children a free access pass to multiple PA opportunities at recreation facilities for an entire school year. This thesis used a mixed-methods approach to examine barriers and enablers to children’s use of those PA opportunities. In-depth interviews with recreation service providers afforded an understanding of potential factors influencing pass use. Surveys of child participants and their parents provided data on participant demographics, parental and peer support, and pass usage. Spatial analysis …

Children's Physical Activity And The Built Environment: The Impact Of Neighbourhood Opportunities And Contextual Environmental Exposure, Christine A. Mitchell

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Childhood obesity rates have risen dramatically since 1981, in part due to decreased physical activity (PA) levels. Research suggests that PA is influenced in part by an individual’s exposure to and engagement with their built environment. Using a multi-tool protocol, this thesis examines how (a) neighbourhood opportunities facilitate or constrain children’s moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and (b) contextual environmental exposure facilitates or constrains children’s MVPA. Results suggest that children’s MVPA is influenced by their built environment, but more so by the contextual environments that they are directly exposed to rather than their overall neighbourhood settings. Children are mobile and unlikely to …

Exploring The Association Between Commute To School Duration And Children's Physical Activity Level And Bodyweight Status, Lucie Richard

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The commute to school is recognized as a daily activity with high potential for influencing children’s health behaviours and outcomes. While the impact of commute mode on children’s health has been extensively researched, the influence of commute duration remains relatively unexplored. This thesis uses binary logistic regression and multiple linear regression analysis of a cross-sectional sample to determine how active and inactive commute to school duration impacts children’s physical activity level and bodyweight status in urban, small town and rural environments in Southwestern Ontario.

It is found here that longer active commute duration is associated with greater average levels of …