Parental Active Transportation Routines (PATRns) as a Moderator of the Association Between Neighborhood Characteristics and Parental Influences and Active School Transportation

Abstract

Successful implementation of interventions to stimulate active school transportation (AST) requires better understanding of this behavior. This study explored the associations between Parental Active Transportation Routines (PATRns) and children’s AST use, as well as the role of PATRns as a moderator of the association between the neighborhood characteristics and parental influences and AST. The study sample consisted of 722 8- to 12-year-old children and their parents living in the Netherlands. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed, with the frequency of AST use as the dependent variable. Moderation by PATRns was tested by including interaction terms between PATRns and independent variables in the regression equation, and stratified analyses were conducted as a result of significant interactions. PATRns were a positive correlate of AST and were found to moderate the association between both parental facilitation of child physical activity and stranger danger and the use of active transportation, emphasizing the relevance of PATRns in increasing AST use.