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Revista de Saúde Pública logoLink to Revista de Saúde Pública
. 2018 Nov 14;52:93. doi: 10.11606/S1518-8787.2018052000189

Socioeconomic status moderates the association between perceived environment and active commuting to school

Alexandre Augusto de Paula da Silva I,II, Rogério César Fermino II,III, Carla Adriane Souza II, Alex Vieira Lima II, Ciro Romelio Rodriguez-Añez II,III, Rodrigo Siqueira Reis II,IV,V
PMCID: PMC6280624  PMID: 30517519

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the moderator effect of socioeconomic status in the association between the perceived environment and active commuting to school.

METHODS

A total of 495 adolescents and their parents were interviewed. Perceived environment was operationalized in traffic and crime safety and assessed with the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale. Active commuting was self-reported by the adolescents, categorized in walking, bicycling or skating at least one time/week. Socioeconomic status was used as moderator effect, reported from adolescents' parents or guardians using Brazilian standardized socioeconomic status classification. Analyses were performed with Poisson regression on Stata 12.0.

RESULTS

Prevalence of active commuting was 63%. Adolescents with low socioeconomic status who reported “it is easy to observe pedestrians and cyclists” were more likely to actively commute to school (PR = 1.18, 95%CI 1.03–1.13). Adolescents with low socioeconomic status whose parents or legal guardians reported positively to “being safe crossing the streets” had increased probability of active commuting to school (PR = 1.10, 95%CI 1.01–1.20), as well as those with high socioeconomic status with “perception of crime” were positively associated to the outcome (PR = 1.33, 95%CI 1.03–1.72).

CONCLUSIONS

Socioeconomic status showed moderating effects in the association between the perceived environment and active commuting to school.

DESCRIPTORS: Adolescent, Parent-Child Relations, Socioeconomic Factors, Social Environment, Transportation

INTRODUCTION

Global estimates suggest eight in every 10 adolescents do not comply with recommendations of daily 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activities 1 , similar to those in Brazil 2 . One possibility to increase physical activity levels is the incentive for daily active commuting, characterized by walking or bicycling to school, work or other destinations 3 . In fact, a positive association between active commuting and health indicators, such as body composition and cardiovascular fitness in children and adolescents, has been reported in the literature 3 . However, the percentage of active commuting to school in adolescents varies from 35% to 70% 4 – 7 in high income countries and between 12% and 70% 8 , 9 in Brazil. This indicates a high individual and regional variability, such as cities' built environments, policies and social characteristics.

Individual (gender, income) 5 , 6 , psychosocial (social support) 7 , 10 , perceived (aesthetics) 5 , 6 , 11 , and built environment variables (distance to school, number of crossings and residential density) 4 , 12 are associated to adolescents' active commuting to school. Moreover, evidence suggests that the way parents perceive the environment may also affect the choice of their children's mode of commuting 4 , 12 – 16 . Most perceived environment variables present inconclusive associations with active commuting, especially those related to traffic 17 . Nonetheless, studies investigating such associations were from high income countries, and evidence is lacking in Brazilian populations 17 .

Theoretical models suggest that parents or legal guardians' perception on lack of safety (theft, robbery, and dangerous crossings) may influence their reasoning when allowing the adolescent to actively commute to school 16 , 18 . Even though no studies have been identified where parental socioeconomic status (SES) may be associated to active commuting to school in adolescents, studies with adults show that those with higher income and negative perception of safety are less likely to actively commute in the neighborhood they reside 19 . However, lack of evidence on perceived environment in adolescents and their parents with active commuting to school highlights the need for such investigation. To this moment, no evidence has been provided on the moderator effect that SES may have in the association between the perceived environment and active commuting to school. A better understanding of this relationship can improve the implementation and orientation of strategies to promote active commuting to school by making objective changes to the environment or altering perception of residents.

The aim of this study was to test the moderator effect of the SES in the association between the perception of adolescents and their parents or legal guardians on neighborhood environment and active commuting to school in adolescents.

METHODS

Characteristics of the Study and Ethical Aspects

The data used in this study is part of an international, multicenter project conducted in 19 countries (IPEN – International Physical Activity and the Environment Network). In Brazil, data was collected in the city of Curitiba, state of Paraná, between the months of August 2013 and May 2014. This is a cross-sectional study with household and face-to-face interviews. More information about the study is available in the literature 20 . The Project was approved by the Ethics Committee at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (Process 135-945/2012), and adolescents and their parents signed an informed consent.

Selection of Census Tracts

The 2,395 census tracts in the city were considered primary sampling units and selected according to walkability and income 20 , 21 . Walkability was defined as a combination of characteristics on land-use mix, residential density and street connectivity, being a measure consistently related with physical activity 21 . Land-use mix was determined according to the distribution of five categories (residential, commercial, recreational, educational/cultural, and other). Residential density was calculated by the ratio between residential units and land area. Street connectivity was computed as the density of intersections within a certain census tract. Raw values were normalized, and z-scores calculated.

Aiming to maximize the variability in walkability and income, census tracts were classified in deciles for both variables. Four groups were created to represent locations with: “high walkability and high income”, “high walkability and low income”, “low walkability and high income” and “low walkability and low income”. Eight census tracts were intentionally selected from each group (n = 32 census tracts in total).

Selection of Households and Participants

Street segments were listed for all blocks within census tracts, the first being located on the southeast extreme of the census tract. Homes were visited in person from the left upper side of the block, clockwise. In case a family refused to participate or there were no adolescents in the household, the next home on the left side was visited.

For each home, one adolescent and one of their parents or legal guardians were selected. The order of selection was: younger females, followed by older males, to allow for an equitable gender selection. In case the selected adolescent refused to participate, another from the same household could be intentionally recruited. According to recommendations of the project protocol, minimum sample should be of 300 adolescents.

Adolescents included were 12–17 years old, residing in the census tract for at least one year from data collection and must be enrolled in school. Those with physical limitations preventing physical activity or cognitive limitations preventing comprehension of the questionnaire were excluded from data collection.

Data Collection

Twenty-three undergraduate and graduate students were responsible for interviewing families after 12 hours of training. Sessions included selection criteria, how to approach homes and participants, surveys, concepts, reading questions and emphasis on highlighted topics, identification of appropriated answers, and forms and identification of refusal. Simulation of the data collection process was done to ensure understanding about procedures.

Dependent Variable

Active commuting to school was assessed by the question: “In a regular week, how many days and for how long do you use the following transport mode to go to or come back from school?”. Six options were available: walking, bicycle, skateboard, public transport, school bus or car.

For analysis purpose, the variable “active commuting to school” was operationalized by weekly frequency, in “zero time/week” versus “≥ 1 times/week”, independent from time spent in commute. This measure and its operationalization have been used in similar studies 4 , 7 .

Independent Variables

Neighborhood environment perception of adolescents and their parents or legal guardians was assessed by the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS). There are two versions of this instrument, one specific for adolescents (NEWS-Youth) and one for adults (NEWS-Adults). Both were translated, adapted and validated to the Brazilian context 22 , 23 .

Eight questions were selected from NEWS and NEWS-Youth, related to perception of safety in traffic, and seven on perception of crime, potentially associated to active commuting to school in adolescents 4 , 16 . The eight questions on traffic safety were: 1) “Is there a lot of traffic in your neighborhood preventing you from walking?”; 2) “Is the traffic speed usually low?”; 3) “Do cars drive by above the speed limit?”; 4) “Is there a lot of smoke/pollution from exhaust fumes?”; 5) “Are the streets well lit at night?”; 6) “Are pedestrians and bicyclists easily seen from inside your home?”; 7) “Are there crosswalks and signals for pedestrians to cross?”; 8) “Do you feel safe crossing the streets in your neighborhood?”. The seven questions on crime safety were: 1) “Is there a lot of crime in your neighborhood?”; 2) “Does crime make it unsafe to walk during the day?”; 3) “Does crime make it unsafe to walk at night?”; 4) “Do you worry about being alone around your neighborhood?”; 5) “Do you worry about being with a friend around your home?”; 6) “Do you worry about being around your home because you are afraid of being robbed?”; 7) “Do you worry about being in parks around your home because you are afraid of being robbed?”. Parents were questioned about environment perception related to safety of their children (Tables 1 and 2). Answers were in a four-point Likert scale: “totally disagree”, “disagree a little”, “agree a little” and “totally agree”. For analysis purpose, the options “totally disagree” and “disagree a little” were grouped and operationalized as “no” (code: 0). Options “agree a little” and “totally agree” were grouped and operationalized as “yes” (code: 1), which represented, respectively, lack and presence of attribute.

Table 1. Descriptive characteristics of participants per socioeconomic status. Curitiba, state of Paraná, Brazil, 2013-2014. (n = 495).

Variable Category Low (n = 195; 39.4%) High (n = 300; 60.6%) p Total (n = 495; 100%)
n % n % n %
Adolescents
Gender Male 99 50.8 145 48.3 0.596h 244 49.3
Female 96 49.2 155 51.7 251 50.7
Age group (years) 12-13 86 44.1 119 39.7 0.050g 205 41.4
14-15 73 37.4 96 32.0 169 34.1
16-17 36 18.5 85 28.3 121 24.4
Nutritional status Normal weight 106 57.6 167 60.5 0.535h 273 59.3
Overweight 78 42.4 109 39.5 187 40.7
Perception of time to walk to school (minutes) ≤ 10 83 43.9 63 21.1 < 0.001g 146 29.9
11-20 43 22.8 80 26.8 123 25.2
21-30 26 13.8 43 14.4 69 14.1
≥ 31 37 19.6 113 37.8 150 30.7
Leisure time, moderate to vigorous physical activity (min/week) < 300 110 56.4 188 62.7 0.165h 298 60.2
≥ 300 85 43.6 112 37.3 197 39.8
Active commuting to school (≥ 1 times/week)a No 37 19.7 143 47.8 < 0.001h 180 37.0
Yes 151 80.3 156 52.2 307 63.0
Period spend in school/studying Morning 105 55.6 217 73.1 < 0.001h 322 66.3
Afternoon/Evening 84 44.4 84 26.9 164 33.7
Parents or legal guardian Father 15 7.7 55 18.3 < 0.001g 70 14.1
Mother 151 77.4 220 73.3 371 74.9
Otherb 29 14.9 25 8.3 54 10.9
Car ownership No 99 50.8 5 1.7 < 0.001h 104 21.0
Yes 96 49.2 295 98.3 391 79.0
Active commuting through the neighborhood (≥ 1 times/ week, ≥ 10 min)c No 52 26.7 145 48.3 < 0.001h 197 39.8
Yes 143 73.3 155 51.7 298 60.2
Total leisure time physical activity (min/week) < 150 166 85.6 208 69.6 < 0.001h 374 75.9
≥ 150 28 14.4 91 30.4 119 24.1
Adolescents' perception
Traffic
Is there a lot of traffic in your neighborhood, for you to walk? No 102 52.3 173 57.7 0.241h 275 55.6
Yes 93 47.7 127 42.3 220 44.4
Is the speed of traffic usually low? No 96 49.7 143 48.1 0.730h 239 48.8
Yes 97 50.3 154 51.9 251 51.2
Do drivers drive over the speed limit? No 50 25.8 91 30.4 0.263h 141 28.6
Yes 144 74.2 208 69.6 352 71.4
Is there a lot of smoke/pollution from exhaust fumes? No 100 51.3 166 55.3 0.377h 266 53.7
Yes 95 48.7 134 44.7 229 46.3
Are streets well lit at night? No 67 34.4 125 41.7 0.103h 192 38.8
Yes 128 65.6 175 58.3 303 61.2
Can pedestrians and bicyclists be seen by people from inside their homes? No 54 27.7 83 27.7 0.995h 137 27.7
Yes 141 72.3 217 72.3 358 72.3
Are there crosswalks and signals to help pedestrians cross the streets? No 84 43.1 129 43.0 0.987h 213 43.0
Yes 111 56.9 171 57.0 282 57.0
Do you feel safe when crossing the streets of your neighborhood? No 89 45.6 117 39.0 0.143h 206 41.6
Yes 106 54.4 183 61.0 289 58.4
Crime
Is there a lot of crime in your neighborhood? No 86 44.1 137 45.7 0.733h 223 45.1
Yes 109 55.9 163 54.3 272 54.9
Does crime make it unsafe to walk during the day? No 120 61.5 198 66.0 0.312h 318 64.2
Yes 75 38.5 102 34.0 177 35.8
Does crime make it unsafe to walk at night? No 23 11.8 34 11.3 0.875h 57 11.5
Yes 172 88.2 266 88.7 438 88.5
Do you worry about being alone around your home? No 140 71.8 216 72.2 0.914h 356 72.1
Yes 55 28.2 83 27.8 138 27.9
Do you worry about being with a friend around your home? No 152 77.9 233 77.7 0.941h 385 77.8
Yes 43 22.1 67 22.3 110 22.2
Do you worry about being around your home because you are afraid of being robbed? No 93 47.7 132 44.0 0.420h 225 45.5
Yes 102 52.3 168 56.0 270 54.5
Do you worry about being in parks around your home because you are afraid of being robbed? No 85 43.6 136 45.3 0.703h 221 44.6
Yes 110 56.4 164 164 274 55.4
Sum of items for traffic and crime
Score for perception of safety related to traffic Tertile 1 100 51.8 148 50.0 0.194g 248 50.7
Tertile 2 47 24.4 52 17.6 99 20.2
Tertile 3d 46 23.8 96 32.4 142 29.0
Score for perception of safety related to crime Tertile 1 85 43.6 138 46.2 0.976g 223 45.1
Tertile 2 82 42.1 111 37.1 193 39.1
Tertile 3 28 14.4 50 16.7 78 15.8
Score for overall perception of safety (traffic + crime) Tertile 1 85 44.0 124 42.0 0.478g 209 42.8
Tertile 2 49 25.4 70 23.7 119 24.4
Tertile 3 59 30.6 101 34.2 160 32.8
Parents or legal guardian's perception
Traffic
Is there a lot of traffic in the neighborhood for the adolescent to walk? No 100 51.3 139 46.3 0.282h 239 48.3
Yes 95 48.7 161 53.7 256 51.7
Is the traffic speed usually low? No 116 59.5 185 61.7 0.639h 301 60.8
Yes 79 40.5 115 38.3 194 39.2
Do drivers drive over the speed limit? No 39 20.0 86 28.8 0.029h 125 25.3
Yes 156 80.0 213 71.2 369 74.7
Is there a lot of smoke/pollution from exhaust fumes? No 107 54.9 180 60.0 0.259h 287 58.0
Yes 88 45.1 120 40.0 208 42.0
Are streets well lit at night? No 79 40.5 150 50.0 0.039h 229 46.3
Yes 116 59.5 150 50.0 266 53.7
Can pedestrians and bicyclists be seen by people from inside their homes? No 65 33.3 129 43.0 0.031h 194 39.2
Yes 130 66.7 171 57.0 301 60.8
Are there crosswalks and signals to help pedestrians cross the streets? No 109 55.9 154 51.3 0.320h 263 53.1
Yes 86 44.1 146 48.7 232 46.9
Do you think it is safe for the adolescent to cross the streets of your neighborhood? No 130 66.7 181 60.3 0.154h 311 62.8
Yes 65 33.3 119 39.7 184 37.2
Crime
Is there a lot of crime in your neighborhood? No 73 37.4 113 37.7 0.959h 186 37.6
Yes 122 62.6 187 62.3 309 62.4
Does crime make it unsafe to walk during the day? No 86 44.1 113 37.7 0.154h 199 40.2
Yes 109 55.9 187 62.3 296 59.8
Does crime make it unsafe to walk at night? No 14 7.2 19 6.3 0.712h 33 6.7
Yes 181 92.8 281 93.7 462 93.3
Do you worry about the adolescent being alone around your home? No 88 45.4 146 48.7 0.472h 234 47.4
Yes 106 54.6 154 51.7 260 52.6
Do you worry about the adolescent being with a friend around your home? No 89 45.6 146 48.7 0.510h 235 47.5
Yes 106 54.4 154 51.3 260 52.5
Do you worry about the adolescent being around your home because you are afraid he/she will be robbed? No 30 15.4 48 16.0 0.854h 78 15.8
Yes 165 84.6 252 84.0 417 84.2
Do you worry about the adolescent being in parks around your home because you are afraid he/she will be robbed? No 18 9.2 45 15.0 0.060h 63 12.7
Yes 177 90.8 255 85.0 432 87.3
Sum of items for traffic and crime
Score for perception of safety related to traffic Tertile 1 99 50.8 134 44.8 0.250g 233 47.2
Tertile 2 64 32.8 110 36.8 174 35.2
Tertile 3d 32 16.4 55 18.4 87 17.6
Score for perception of safety related to crime Tertile 1 82 42.3 114 38.0 0.638g 196 39.7
Tertile 2 70 36.1 124 41.3 194 39.3
Tertile 3e 42 21.6 62 20.7 104 21.1
Score for overall perception of safety (traffic + crime) Tertile 1 70 36.1 105 35.1 0.785g 175 35.5
Tertile 2 69 35.6 118 39.5 187 37.9
Tertile 3f 55 28.4 76 25.4 131 26.6
Open in a new tab
a

Walking, using bicycle or skateboard to go or return from school . 1 time/week.

b

Grandmother: 4.0%; grandfather: 1.6%; aunt: 1.0%; uncle: 0.8%; other: 3.4% (brother, stepfather, etc.).

c

Walking, using bicycle to commute through the streets of the neighborhood, at least one day a week, for at least 10 consecutive minutes (. 1 times/week, . 10 min).

d

Better perception of safety related to traffic.

e

Better perception of safety related to crime.

f

Better overall perception of safety (traffic + crime).

g

Value for chi-squared test for linear tendency.

h

Value for chi-squared test for heterogeneity.

Table 2. Bivariate and multivariate association between environment perception by adolescents and active commuting to school per socioeconomic status. Curitiba, state of Paraná, Brazil, 2013-2014. (n = 495).

Variable Low High
n % Crude Adjustedd n % Crude Adjustedd
PR 95%CI PR 95%CI PR 95%CI PR 95%CI
Traffic perception
Is there a lot of traffic in the neighborhood for the adolescent to walk?
No 84 83.1 1 1 87 50.5 1 1
Yes 67 77.0 0.92 0.79-1.08 0.96 0.86-1.07 69 54.3 1.07 0.79-1.45 0.96 0.74-1.26
Is the speed of traffic usually low?
No 70 76.0 1 1 77 53.8 1 1
Yes 79 84.0 1.10 0.94-1.29 1.05 0.94-1.16 78 50.9 0.94 0.74-1.20 1.04 0.83-1.30
Do drivers drive over the speed limit?
No 36 76.6 1 1 45 50.0 1 1
Yes 114 81.4 1.06 0.89-1.26 1.10 0.97-1.24 110 52.8 1.05 0.80-1.39 0.89 0.69-1.15
Is there a lot of smoke/pollution from exhaust fumes?
No 75 78.1 1 1 78 47.2 1 1
Yes 76 82.6 1.05 0.92-1.20 1.03 0.94-1.13 78 58.2 1.23 0.96-1.56 1.10 0.91-1.33
Are streets well lit at night?
No 54 81.2 1 1 62 49.6 1 1
Yes 97 79.5 0.97 0.85-1.10 0.99 0.89-1.10 94 54.0 1.08 0.91-1.29 0.94 0.78-1.15
Can pedestrians and bicyclists be seen by people from inside their homes?
No 36 66.6 1 1 47 57.3 1 1
Yes 115 85.8 1.29 1.05-1.57 1.18e 1.03-1.36 109 50.2 0.87 0.70-1.09 0.86 0.71-1.04
Are there crosswalks and signals to help pedestrians cross the streets?
No 62 76.5 1 1 58 44.9 1 1
Yes 89 83.1 1.08 0.94-1.25 1.01 0.91-1.13 98 57.6 1.28 0.98-1.66 1.08 0.88-1.33
Do you think it is safe for you to cross the streets of your neighborhood?
No 71 82.5 1 1 60 51.2 1 1
Yes 80 78.4 0.95 0.80-1.12 0.95 0.85-1.07 96 52.7 1.02 0.80-1.30 0.99 0.81-1.22
Crime perception
Is there a lot of crime in your neighborhood?
No 66 78.5 1 1 73 53.6 1 1
Yes 85 81.7 1.04 0.88-1.21 1.08 0.96-1.20 83 50.9 0.94 0.76-1.17 0.95 0.80-1.13
Does crime make it unsafe to walk during the day?
No 93 81.5 1 1 104 52.7 1 1
Yes 58 78.3 0.96 0.83-1.11 1.03 0.94-1.12 52 50.9 0.96 0.77-1.20 0.97 0.75-1.26
Does crime make it unsafe to walk at night?
No 19 82.6 1 1 21 61.7 1 1
Yes 132 80.0 0.96 0.77-1.20 1.05 0.93-1.19 135 50.9 0.82 0.58-1.16 0.85 0.65-1.12
Do you worry about being alone around your home?
No 114 84.4 1 1 109 50.4 1 1
Yes 37 69.8 0.83 0.69-0.97 0.93 0.80-1.08 46 56.1 1.11 0.86-1.42 0.97 0.79-1.20
Do you worry about being with a friend around your home?
No 117 80.6 1 1 122 52.3 1 1
Yes 34 79.0 0.97 0.82-1.16 0.96 0.84-1.10 34 51.5 0.98 0.75-1.28 0.90 0.71-1.14
Do you worry about being around your home because you are afraid of being robbed?
No 73 82.9 1 1 67 50.7 1 1
Yes 78 78.0 0.94 0.84-1.04 1.02 0.95-1.10 89 53.2 1.04 0.85-1.28 1.10 0.93-1.31
Do you worry about being in parks around your home because you are afraid of being robbed?
No 61 76.2 1 1 73 54.0 1 1
Yes 90 83.3 1.09 0.96-1.24 1.10 0.99-1.24 83 50.6 0.93 0.73-1.18 0.92 0.74-1.14
Sum of items for traffic and crime
Score for perception of safety related to traffic
Tertile 1 73 76.0 1 1 76 51.3 1 1
Tertile 2 41 87.2 1.14 0.97-1.34 1.12 0.96-1.31 35 67.3 1.31 0.98-1.73 1.17 0.92-1.47
Tertile 3a 35 81.4 1.07 0.91-1.24 0.94 0.83-1.07 43 45.2 0.88 0.65-1.18 0.89 0.68-1.15
Score for perception of safety related to crime
Tertile 1 65 78.3 1 1 73 53.2 1 1
Tertile 2 65 82.2 1.05 0.88-1.24 0.97 0.88-1.08 53 47.7 0.89 0.70-1.14 0.95 0.78-1.16
Tertile 3b 21 80.7 1.03 0.84-1.26 0.93 0.82-1.05 29 58.0 1.08 0.84-1.40 1.04 0.79-1.37
Score for overall perception of safety (traffic + crime)
Tertile 1 65 79.2 1 1 66 53.2 1 1
Tertile 2 39 79.5 1.00 0.81-1.23 1.02 0.92-1.12 34 48.5 0.91 0.67-1.23 1.02 0.77-1.34
Tertile 3c 45 81.8 1.03 0.89-1.19 0.96 0.87-1.06 53 53.0 0.99 0.79-1.23 1.07 0.86-1.32
Open in a new tab
a

Better perception of safety related to traffic.

b

Better perception of safety related to crime.

c

Better overall perception of safety (traffic + crime).

d

Adjusted for variables which presented p < 0.20 in the bivariate analysis with active commuting (adolescents: gender, age group, perception of time spent to walk to school, leisure time moderate to vigorous physical activity, period spent in school; guardians: car ownership).

Bolded values for p < 0.05

Based on the sum of individual items, a safety perception score was computed for traffic and crime. Some variables were recoded (0 to 1) to better represent the perception of the environment (safer). On traffic perception, questions 1, 3 and 4 were recoded while all questions on crime perception were recoded. Three safety perception indicators were operationalized based on the scores: 1) traffic; 2) crime and 3) general safety (traffic + crime), categorized in tertiles, indicating “low”, “medium” and “high” environment perception.

Covariables

The following variables were included as covariables: gender, age group, perception of time spent walking to school, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in leisure time and period of the day spent in school. Parents or legal guardians' variables included were: car ownership, active commuting in the neighborhood and leisure time physical activity.

The adolescents' gender was observed (“male”, “female”) and their age classified into three age groups (“12–13 years”, “14–15 years” and “16–17 years”). Body mass (kg) and height (cm) were measured and used to calculate body mass index (BMI) and estimated nutritional status, categorized in “normal weight” (low weight and normal weight) and “overweight” (overweight and obese), specific for Brazilian adolescents. Perceived distance to school was assessed with the question: “How long does/would it take for you to walk to school? (even if you don't walk)” 4 , 12 . The answers were grouped into four categories: “≤ 10 min”, “11–20 min”, “21–30 min” and “≥ 31 min”. Leisure time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, in a regular week, was self-reported as the weekly frequency and duration of any type of activity in that intensity (swimming, sports, dance, races, gymnastics, walking, skateboarding, etc.) 24 . The volume of physical activity was classified in: “< 300 min/week” and “≥ 300 min/week”. The period spent in school was categorized as “morning” or “afternoon/evening”.

An adult considered parent or a legal guardian for the adolescent participated in the survey. For the analysis, the options “grandmother”, “grandfather”, “uncle”, “aunt” and “other” were operationalized as “other”. Car ownership was assessed by the question: “How many motor vehicles (cars, motorcycles, etc.) do you own?”. The answer was classified as “no” (zero vehicles) and “yes” (≥ 1 vehicles). Active commuting was assessed by the question: “Do you walk or bike for at least 10 consecutive minutes to go from one place to another in the neighborhood?” (“no”, “yes”). Total leisure time physical activity was assessed by the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire 25 , and its score calculated by the equation: [walking + moderate activity + (vigorous × 2)], and then classified in two categories: “< 150 min/week” and “≥ 150 min/week”.

Moderator Variable

The SES was assessed by a standard questionnaire which considers a number of domestic appliances, presence of a housekeeper, and education of the financial provider for the household 26 , later classified in seven levels. For the analysis purpose of the moderator effect, participants were classified in two SES: “low” (classes C+D+E) and “high” (classes A+B).

Data Analysis

Poisson regression was used to test the association between the perceived environment for adolescents and their parent or legal guardians and active commuting to school. In order to test the possible moderator effect, the SES was included in the model (“low” versus “high”). After bivariate analysis, the multivariate model was adjusted for individual variable which presented p < 0.20 in the bivariate model (adolescents: gender, age group, perception of time spent to walk to school, leisure time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, period spent in school; parents: car ownership). Data were analyzed in Stata 12.0 and significance level was kept at 5%.

RESULTS

A total of 495 adolescents were interviewed (50.7% girls), as well as their respective parents or legal guardians (74.9% mothers). Refusal rate of participation was 16% (n = 94), similar between neighborhood income. Frequency of active commuting was 63.0%, being higher among adolescents of low SES (80.3% versus 52.2%, p < 0.001).

Most adolescents were within the 12-13 years-old age group (41.4%), had normal nutritional status (59.3%), their perceived distance walking to school was ≥ 31 minutes (30.7%), leisure time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was < 300 min/week (60.2%), and studied during the morning period (66.3%) (Table 1). For parents or legal guardians, a higher proportion owned at least one motor vehicle (79.0%), were active commuters through the neighborhood (60.2%), and practiced < 150 min/week of leisure time moderate-to-vigorous physical activities (75.9%). Among individuals of low SES, there was higher proportion of other relatives (grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, brother) as responsible for the adolescent (p < 0.001). The high SES was associated to car ownership and with ≥ 150 min/week of total leisure time physical activity (p < 0.001) (Table 1). For parents or legal guardians, the perception of neighborhood characteristics such as “drivers drive over the speed limit”, “streets are well lit at night” and “pedestrians and bicyclists can be easily seen from inside their homes”, was positively associated to low SES (p < 0.05) (Table 1).

In the bivariate analysis for low SES adolescents, the fact that it was possible to “see pedestrians and bicyclists from inside their homes” was positively associated to active commuting to school (PR = 1.29, 95%CI 1.05–1.57), while “concern of being alone around the home” was inversely associated to the outcome (PR = 0.83, 95%CI 0.69–0.97) (Table 2). On parents or legal guardians' perception, those of high SES perceived “a lot of smoke and pollution” (PR = 1.20, 95%CI 1.02–1.41) and that “streets were well lit at night” (PR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.09–1.55) were positively associated to active commuting to school (Table 3).

Table 3. Bivariate and multivariated association between the environment perception by parents or legal guardian and active commuting to school, by socioeconomic level. Curitiba, state of Paraná, Brazil, 2013-2014. (n = 495).

Variable Low High
n % Crude Adjusted n % Crude Adjusted
PR 95%CI PR 95%CI PR 95%CI PR 95%CI
Traffic perception
Is there a lot of traffic in the neighborhood for the adolescent to walk?
No 78 80.4 1 1 71 51.0 1 1
Yes 73 80.2 0.99 0.84-1.17 1.02 0.90-1.15 85 53.1 1.04 0.83-1.30 1.03 0.87-1.22
Is the speed of traffic usually low?
No 89 80.9 1 1 94 50.8 1 1
Yes 62 79.4 0.98 0.85-1.12 0.92 0.82-1.04 62 54.3 1.07 0.83-1.36 1.00 0.81-1.23
Do drivers drive over the speed limit?
No 28 73.6 1 1 51 59.3 1 1
Yes 123 82.0 1.11 0.89-1.38 1.10 0.96-1.27 104 49.0 0.82 0.67-1.00 0.86 0.69-1.07
Is there a lot of smoke/pollution from exhaust fumes?
No 81 79.4 1 1 87 48.3 1 1
Yes 70 81.4 1.02 0.85-1.22 0.98 0.87-1.11 69 57.9 1.20 1.02-1.41 1.13 0.97-1.31
Are streets well lit at night?
No 56 72.7 1 1 68 45.3 1 1
Yes 95 85.5 1.17 0.98-1.40 1.14 0.98-1.32 88 59.0 1.30 1.09-1.55 1.12 0.96-1.30
Can pedestrians and bicyclists be seen by people from inside their homes?
No 50 78.1 1 1 63 49.2 1 1
Yes 101 81.4 1.04 0.89-1.22 1.01 0.90-1.13 93 54.3 1.10 0.88-1.38 1.03 0.85-1.25
Are there crosswalks and signals to help pedestrians cross the streets?
No 84 78.5 1 1 77 50.0 1 1
Yes 67 82.7 1.05 0.93-1.18 0.99 0.88-1.11 79 54.4 1.08 0.89-1.32 0.99 0.86-1.14
Do you think it is safe for the adolescent to cross the streets of your neighborhood?
No 97 77.6 1 1 90 50.0 1 1
Yes 54 85.7 1.10 0.96-1.26 1.10 1.01-1.20 66 55.4 1.10 0.91-1.34 1.04 0.83-1.29
Crime perception
Is there a lot of crime in your neighborhood?
No 63 87.5 1 1 50 44.6 1 1
Yes 88 75.8 0.86 0.75-1.00 0.94 0.83-1.06 106 56.6 1.26 0.97-1.65 1.33 1.03-1.72
Does crime make it unsafe to walk during the day?
No 66 81.4 1 1 60 53.1 1 1
Yes 85 79.4 0.97 0.82-1.15 0.93 0.85-1.03 96 51.6 0.97 0.77-1.22 0.96 0.76-1.21
Does crime make it unsafe to walk at night?
No 13 92.8 1 1 10 52.6 1 1
Yes 138 79.3 0.85 0.71-1.02 0.98 0.86-1.13 146 52.1 0.99 0.55-1.75 1.07 0.66-1.73
Do you worry about the adolescent being alone around your home?
No 66 78,5 1 1 78 53,7 1 1
Yes 84 81,5 1,03 0,93-1,15 1.03 0.95-1.11 78 50,6 0,94 0,78-1,12 1.01 0.85-1.21
Do you worry about the adolescent being with a friend around your home?
No 67 78,8 1 1 72 49,6 1 1
Yes 84 81,5 1,03 0,90-1,18 1.01 0.93-1.10 84 54,5 1,09 0,91-1,32 1.07 0.91-1.26
Do you worry about the adolescent being around your home because you are afraid he/ she will be robbed?
No 22 81,4 1 1 26 54,1 1 1
Yes 129 80,1 0,98 0,81-1,19 0.90 0.76-1.07 130 51,7 0,95 0,73-1,24 1.01 0.79-1.28
Do you worry about the adolescent being in parks around your home because you are afraid he/she will be robbed?
No 13 81,2 1 1 18 40,0 1 1
Yes 138 80,2 0,98 0,78-1,24 0.80 0.64-1.00 138 54,3 1,35 0,94-1,96 1.16 0.85-1.59
Sum of items for traffic and crime
Score for perception of safety related to traffic
Tertile 1 75 77,3 1 1 63 47,3 1 1
Tertile 2 48 81,3 1,05 0,91-1,20 0.98 0.90-1.07 62 56,3 1,18 0,92-1,53 1.09 0.88-1.36
Tertile 3a 28 87,5 1,13 0,98-1,30 1.08 0.93-1.26 30 54,5 1,15 0,91-1,44 0.98 0.79-1.22
Score for perception of safety related to crime
Tertile 1 64 80,0 1 1 62 54,3 1 1
Tertile 2 53 77,9 0,97 0,84-1,12 1.00 0.91-1.08 64 52,0 0,95 0,77-1,18 0.94 0.78-1.13
Tertile 3b 33 84,6 1,05 0,89-1,25 1.08 0.97-1.21 30 48,3 0,88 0,68-1,16 0.83 0.64-1.08
Score for overall perception of safety (traffic + crime)
Tertile 1 55 79,7 1 1 55 52,3 1 1
Tertile 2 51 78,4 0,98 0,81-1,18 0.94 0.82-1.07 60 51,2 0,97 0,77-1,24 1.06 0.86-1.30
Tertile 3c 44 83,2 1,04 0,86-1,25 1.04 0.90-1.20 40 52,6 1,00 0,82-1,21 0.90 0.75-1.09
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a

Better perception of safety related to traffic.

b

Better perception of safety related to crime.

c

Better overall perception of safety (traffic + crime).

d

Adjusted for variables which presented p < 0.20 in the bivariate analysis with active commuting (adolescents: gender, age group, perception of time spent to walk to school, leisure time moderate to vigorous physical activity, period spent in school; guardians: car ownership).

Bolded values for p < 0.05

After adjusting for confounding variables, only the perception of being possible to “see pedestrians and bicyclists from inside their homes” remained positively associated to active commuting to school among low SES adolescents (PR = 1.18, 95%CI 1.03–1.36) (Table 2). For parents or legal guardians' perception, among those of low SES, the perception of “being safe for adolescents to cross the street in the neighborhood” was positively associated to adolescents' active commuting to school (PR = 1.10, 95%CI 1.01–1.20). For those of high SES, the “perception of too much crime in the neighborhood” was positively associated to active commuting (PR = 1.33, 95%CI 1.03–1.72) (Table 3).

DISCUSSION

This is the first study looking to identify the association between the perceived environment of the neighborhood by adolescents and their parents or legal guardians and active commuting to school in Brazilian adolescents. Moreover, the first to explore the moderator effect of the SES in this association. The methodology allowed to explore how different perceptions of the environment may affect the behavior of adolescents in active commuting to school, that being the strength of this study. Previous studies have tested the association between the isolated environment perception of adolescents and their guardians and active commuting to school 17 .

The proportion of active commuting to school was higher among adolescents of low SES (80.3% versus 52.2%, p < 0.001). The premise that the environment perception by guardians could, somehow, influence the decision to allow their children to commute actively to school, was not confirmed in most associations tested independent from SES.

In the present study the perception of being possible to “see pedestrian and bicyclists from inside the home” increased in 18% the probability of active commuting to school for low SES adolescents. Only one study testing this association with a similar variable was found 11 . Evenson et al. 11 found a negative association between the fact of “seeing people in the neighborhood” and active commute to school in girls in the United States, such results being different from the present study. This difference may be partly explained by an increased concern by guardians to girls' exposure to more dangerous environments 27 . However, exploratory analyses did not identify an association between the perception of guardians and adolescents' gender (data not presented). Moreover, it is important to highlight the measurement and how participants were asked about it “being possible to see other people in the community” (“from inside their homes” versus “see people in the neighborhood in general”). This could, somehow, modify the perception of those related to this characteristic 11 . In the present study, the moderator effect of low SES in the association found may be explained by the fact that adolescents of lower SES would find active commute a necessity, once it includes an economic cost and fewer access to motorized means of transportation. This characteristic could increase the perception of being possible to see people in the neighborhood 28 .

For parents or legal guardians of low SES, perception of safety related to crossings may increase in 10% the probability of adolescents engaging in active commute to school. Only one study found similar results 15 . Other evidence has pointed to the positive association between better general characteristics of traffic (signals, signs indicating speed control, traffic volume, etc.) and active commute to school 13 , 14 , 16 , 17 , 29 , 30 , these being similar to what was found. In fact, some studies suggest that better traffic conditions could increase the perception of safety of individuals, facilitating active commuting 13 , 30 . The diminished access to motor vehicles by guardians of low SES (49.2% versus 98.3%, p < 0.001) may contribute to more active commuting through neighborhood streets (73.3% versus 51.7%, p < 0.001). This characteristic, associated to the impossibility of guardians to pay for public or private transport for their children to go to school, would allow better knowledge of neighborhood characteristics 28 .

Parents or legal guardians of high SES had the perception of crime positively associated to active commute to school (PR = 1.33, 95%CI 1.03–1.72). Several studies have explored the association between the different variables for perception of crime and active commute to school and have not found significant association between the variables 4 , 17 , 29 . In spite of similarity to this study in several of the associations tested, except for the presence of crime in the neighborhood, there is inconsistency in the results of studies looking into this variable. For example, a study in Nairobi (Kenya) did not find associations between the perception of crime and active commuting 15 . The positive association found in this study is different than what is expected and reported in the literature, allowing us to hypothesize this to be a spurious association due to characteristics of the sample.

Most variables of environment perception explored in this study were not associated to active commuting. However, it is important to highlight that these results are similar to those verified in the literature 17 . D'Haese et al. 17 state that results from cross-sectional studies tend to present a positive association between few variables for perception of traffic and active commute to school. Nonetheless, the same authors affirm that such associations are not verified when considering perception of crime 17 . The lack of associations between perception of traffic and crime and active commute to school in adolescents in this study may be due to the fact that this behavior is influenced by other predictors in the neighborhood 17 . For example, studies show that adolescents living in high walkability neighborhoods and access to services are more likely to actively commute to school when compared to adolescents living in antagonist neighborhoods 16 , 17 .

Some limitations must be considered when interpreting and extrapolating results. The sample is not representative of adolescents in the city, once participants were selected from intentionally selected census tracts to generate contrasts for walkability and income. It is likely that associations tested in this study present different results if census tracts with less variability were considered. Moreover, other characteristics were not considered in this study, as parents' (“father” or “mother”) perceptions and environmental (walkability, aesthetics, access to services, mixed land use) ones, which can be associated to the outcome 16 , 17 . At last, the cross-sectional design does not allow for a causal relationship to be determined.

In conclusion, the SES presented a moderating effect in the association between the perceived environment by adolescents and their parents or legal guardians, with active commuting to school. For adolescents with low SES, the fact that they can “see pedestrians and cyclists from inside their homes” was positively associated with active commute to school. For parents or legal guardian with low SES, perception of safety to “cross the streets in the neighborhood” was positively associated with active commute, while for those with high SES, perception of crime was associated to the outcome.

The improvement in the conditions of neighborhood safety may positively influence the perception of safety in adolescents and their parents or legal guardians. Presence of traffic signals in commuting routes to school and in school surroundings could improve the probability of active commuting to school 18 . These results suggest administrators should implement interventions based on the modification of environmental characteristics to favor active commuting. Future studies must analyze the effect of such environmental modifications in individual perception of safety and the relation of this effect with active commute to school.

Footnotes

Funding: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) during the master's degree; National Institutes of Health (NIH) (56073B P1661 7811211); Grupo de Pesquisa em Atividade Física e Qualidade de Vida (GPAQ) for members support.

REFERENCES

Articles from Revista de Saúde Pública are provided here courtesy of Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Saúde Pública.

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