Walk to School and Physical Activity

NCT ID: NCT00186134

Last Updated: 2005-09-16

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE2
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2004-10-31
• Study Completion Date: 2005-05-31

Brief Summary

The purpose of the proposed study is to determine the effect of walking to school for one week on total physical activity and patterns of physical activity in third, fourth and fifth grade students.

Detailed Description

Increasing children's physical activity has become an important public health concern. Active transportation (walking and bicycling) is one aspect of children's physical activity that has received little attention but may provide a means of increasing children's activity levels. Traveling to school is a common activity for most children in the United States. Due to this regularity, active transportation to school provides a possible way to incorporate an increase in children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity into a routine activity.

Several "walk to school" programs have been implemented but it is not known if the physical activity levels of children walking to school are greater than those that get chauffeured or bused. Theoretically, moderate intensity activity should be greater in the walkers compared to others. This difference should be in proportion to the duration of the walk to and from school; determined by how far the child lives from the school. However, more activity in the morning may have an impact on activity levels later in the day. Therefore, differences in daily activity patterns in addition to total activity need to be considered.

Comparison(s): Following a baseline week, the physical activity of students randomized to a Walk to School group will be compared to those randomized to a Control group, who will continue to be driven to school.

Conditions

Physical Activity

Keywords

Physical Activity; Walking; Primary Schools; Transportation

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: ECT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Interventions

physical activity

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade at participating school

Exclusion Criteria

• Currently walking or bicycling to school at least 4 times per week
• Physical or mental disability that would prevent walking to school under adult supervision.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 8 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 11 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Stanford University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Principal Investigators

John R Sirard, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Stanford University

Thomas N Robinson, MD, MPH

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Stanford University

Locations

Stanford University School of Medicine

Stanford, California, United States

Countries

United States

References

Boarnet MG, Anderson CL, Day K, McMillan T, Alfonzo M. Evaluation of the California Safe Routes to School legislation: urban form changes and children's active transportation to school. Am J Prev Med. 2005 Feb;28(2 Suppl 2):134-40. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2004.10.026.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 15694521 (View on PubMed)

Gordon-Larsen P, Nelson MC, Beam K. Associations among active transportation, physical activity, and weight status in young adults. Obes Res. 2005 May;13(5):868-75. doi: 10.1038/oby.2005.100.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 15919840 (View on PubMed)

Sirard JR, Ainsworth BE, McIver KL, Pate RR. Prevalence of active commuting at urban and suburban elementary schools in Columbia, SC. Am J Public Health. 2005 Feb;95(2):236-7. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2003.034355.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 15671456 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

95378

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id