Translation of children’s cycling into steps: the share of cycling in 10-year-olds’ physical activity
-
Anders Raustorp
,
Cecilia Boldemann
Abstract
Background: Active travel has a potential to increase children’s physical activity (PA). Pedometers offer a valid option to measure PA, but do not capture cycling activity. Children’s self-reported cycling distances can be analyzed by the Geografic Information System (GIS).
Aim: To combine pedometry and GIS mapping to identify the relative amount of cycling in children’s PA.
Study group: Of all children in 4th grade (n=187) in Staffanstorp Sweden, 144 had valid pedometer data. Fifty-six children were non-cyclists while 88 children (32 boys, 47 girls, 9 gender unknown) reported at least one cycle journey.
Methods: Cycle trips were entered into GIS and calculated to total cycling distance. Average length of the single distances cycled per day was 676 m (SD=534 m). A previously reported cycling speed (13.5 km/h) was used to calculate time spent cycling. Consequently distance=676 m, speed=13.5 km/h=13,500 m/3600 s=3.75 m/s and time=676m/3.75m/s=180.26 s=3 min. Expenditure of 4 and 5 metabolic equivalents (METs) has in children been reported equivalent to 122 and 127 steps/min, respectively. We estimated 4.7 METs (13.5 km/h) as 126 steps for every min of cycling (127–122=5×0.7=125.5).
Results: The daily mean cycle distance was 676 m, on average 379 additional steps/day for cycling children (min. 21, max. 1385, SD=299) with no gender difference. Additional “steps” obtained by cycling corresponded to on average 3% of their PA.
Conclusion: The relative contribution of cycling in 10-year-old children’s PA level is quite small and stable between children across different levels of activity levels, regardless of gender.
The research was funded by a research grant from the Swedish research council FORMAS. The authors would like to thank PhD Maria Kylin, Isabelle Ripa and Anna Bråhult and all the participating children.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Masthead
- Masthead
- Editorial
- Unintentional death in childhood and adolescence
- Review
- Detached, distraught or discerning? Fathers of adolescents with chronic illness: a review of the literature
- Original Articles
- Perception of transition readiness and preferences for use of technology in transition programs: teens’ ideas for the future
- Adaptation of an internet-based depression prevention intervention for Chinese adolescents: from “CATCH-IT” to “grasp the opportunity”
- Smaller pelvic size in pregnant adolescents contributes to lower birth weight
- R620W polymorphism of protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPN22 in Egyptian children and adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus: relation to thyroid autoimmunity
- Motivational stage of change in young patients undergoing day treatment for eating disorders
- Leveraging microfinance to impact HIV and financial behaviors among adolescents and their mothers in West Bengal: a cluster randomized trial
- Patterns of contraception choice among Hispanic and non-Hispanic female adolescents
- Translation of children’s cycling into steps: the share of cycling in 10-year-olds’ physical activity
- Weight gain in an eating disorders day program
- Case Report
- Weight loss as a result of religious zeal in young Orthodox Jewish males
