Table 3.
Objectively measured and perceived built environment (BE) characteristics of the school neighbourhood.
| Total Sample | Large Urban Area | Medium Urban Areas | Small Urban Areas | Rural Settings | p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (23 schools) | (11 schools) | (3 schools) | (4 schools) | (5 schools) | ||
| Objective measures | ||||||
| GIS data: 0.5 km street-network buffer | ||||||
| Intersection density | 47.23 ± 20.71 | 58.53 ± 24.06 | 40.41 ± 2.41 | 31.63 ± 3.54 | 38.92 ± 13.57 | 0.071 |
| Residential density | 727.60 ± 358.76 | 948.57 ± 365.48 d | 766.27 ± 108.21 | 567.58 ± 109.87 | 346.26 ± 127.56 a | 0.005 |
| Mixed land use | 0.47 ± 0.19 | 0.42 ± 0.23 | 0.37 ± 0.32 | 0.61 ± 0.13 | 0.52 ± 0.12 | 0.230 |
| Walkability index | 0.00 ± 1.63 | 0.89 ± 1.81 | −0.73 ± 0.54 | −0.42 ± 0.59 | −1.20 ± 1.20 | 0.063 |
| GIS data: 1.0 km street−network buffer | ||||||
| Intersection density | 47.37 ± 19.01 | 60.19 ± 19.35 c,d | 41.93 ± 9.30 | 34.88 ± 5.03 a | 32.41 ± 8.94 a | 0.008 |
| Residential density | 746.79 ± 344.09 | 989.01 ± 259.35 c,d | 819.67 ± 176.69 d | 595.41 ± 74.97 a | 291.31 ± 125.15 a,b | <0.001 |
| Mixed land use | 0.46 ± 0.15 | 0.42 ± 0.17 | 0.42 ± 0.08 | 0.60 ± 0.10 | 0.46 ± 0.12 | 0.230 |
| Walkability index | 0.00 ± 1.75 | 1.12 ± 1.45 d | −0.32 ± 1.36 | −0.17 ± 0.44 | −2.12 ± 1.15 a | 0.002 |
| Adolescents’ perceptions of route to school | ||||||
| There is too much traffic along the route * | 1.82 ± 0.41 | 2.09 ± 0.29 d | 1.88 ± 0.13 | 1.67 ± 0.30 | 1.30 ± 0.24 a | <0.001 |
| There is one or more dangerous crossings along the route * | 1.86 ± 0.34 | 2.04 ± 0.28 d | 1.94 ± 0.14 | 1.85 ± 0.23 | 1.40 ± 0.22 a | 0.001 |
| Adolescents’ perceptions of walking to school | ||||||
| It is unsafe to walk to school * | 1.42 ± 0.22 | 1.55 ± 0.20 d | 1.39 ± 0.17 | 1.42 ± 0.14 | 1.15 ± 0.07 a | 0.003 |
| My parents think it is not safe to walk to school * | 1.40 ± 0.23 | 1.51 ± 0.22 d | 1.40 ± 0.27 | 1.36 ± 0.12 | 1.17 ± 0.15 a | 0.042 |
| There are no footpaths along the way * | 1.39 ± 0.14 | 1.35 ± 0.11 | 1.30 ± 0.07 | 1.53 ± 0.05 | 1.43 ± 0.22 | 0.086 |
| Adolescents’ perceptions of cycling to school | ||||||
| It is unsafe to cycle to school * | 2.02 ± 0.48 | 2.38 ± 0.31 c,d | 2.08 ± 0.37 | 1.75 ± 0.30 a | 1.42 ± 0.19 a | <0.001 |
| My parents think it is not safe to cycle to school * | 1.85 ± 0.44 | 2.16 ± 0.34 c,d | 1.88 ± 0.31 | 1.61 ± 0.20 a | 1.33 ± 0.14 a | <0.001 |
| There are no cycle paths along the way * | 2.83 ± 0.43 | 2.93 ± 0.34 | 2.30 ± 0.14 | 2.73 ± 0.22 | 3.02 ± 0.62 | 0.087 |
ap < 0.05 versus large urban area, b p < 0.05 versus medium urban area, c p < 0.05 versus small urban area, d p < 0.05 versus rural settings.* Data collected using 4-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree to 4 = Strongly agree).