Characteristics of US Walk to School Programs
Author Information
Author(s): Dianne S. Ward, Laura Linnan, Amber Vaughn, Brian Neelon, Sarah L. Martin, Janet E. Fulton
Primary Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Hypothesis
Describe the characteristics of schools' WTS programs by level of implementation.
Conclusion
Strong community involvement, some funding, repeat participation, and environmental audits are associated with programs that adopt environmental/policy change and seem to facilitate walking to school.
Supporting Evidence
- More than half of the schools implemented only a WTS Day event.
- Schools with high implementation levels had more community groups involved.
- Funding was positively associated with higher levels of program implementation.
- Years of participation in the WTS program correlated with higher implementation levels.
Takeaway
This study looked at how schools in the US promote walking to school and found that schools with more community support and funding are better at getting kids to walk.
Methodology
Representatives from 450 schools completed a survey about their WTS program's infrastructure and activities.
Potential Biases
The responses may not be objective as WTS coordinators might have biases regarding their program's effectiveness.
Limitations
The study only included schools listed in the 2002 WTS registration database, and the validity of the implementation level question is unknown.
Participant Demographics
Most respondents were from elementary schools, with an average enrollment of 547 students, and 44.4% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.44, 2.18
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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