School Travel Plans: Barriers and underlying causes, relating active school transport to increased physical activity
Theresa Beesley
A recent Public Health Service Agent survey determined that across Canada that 51% of primary school children are traveling to school by car. This paper establishes national and provincial rates of Canadian active school transport as well as identifies the major barriers. Research has shown that there is a relationship between active school transport and increased physical activity in children. Surveys were sent home for parents to complete in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Their responses were used to identify underlying causes of the barriers to active school transport. A review of literature then compares the results of the survey to rates of physical activity in children. Overall, the conclusions are distance as the major barrier to AST and found that youths who participate in AST are significantly more physically active.
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Theresa Beesley is currently an undergraduate Physical Education and Health student at the University of Toronto. She is a member of the Exercise Psychology Unit where she is currently analyzing data on physical activity promotion, outcomes and barriers. In 2007 she was awarded with the J Harry Ebbs achievement award and was inducted into the R Tait McKenzie society for her academic achievement. Currently she is volunteering her time to the Center for Leadership Training and Education (CLTE). As a part of the CLTE team she is leading projects on physical activity promotion on campus and has created an annual career information week for prospective kinesiology graduates. Ms. Beesley is currently working towards her Masters of Exercise Science and will be presenting her research findings at the Bertha Rosenstadt Nation Undergraduate Research Conference this spring.
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