Longitudinal associations between weather, season, and mode of commuting to school among Spanish youths

Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2018 Dec;28(12):2677-2685. doi: 10.1111/sms.13268. Epub 2018 Aug 14.

Abstract

Aim: To study the associations of weather conditions with the travel mode choice for commuting to and from school.

Methods: A total of 6979 Spanish youths aged 7 to 18 years old (80% adolescents aged 12-18 years old, 51% male) completed a 5-day survey of mode of commuting to school in autumn, winter, and spring. Weather data from the nearest weather station to each school were registered. We used Google Maps™ to calculate the distance from home to school. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to estimate odds of active travel based on weather and season.

Results: We analyzed a total of 163 846 discrete journeys. In winter, children (aged 7 to 11 years old) were less likely to choose an active mode of commuting to school (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.89, P = 0.003). In spring, adolescents were more likely to choose an active mode of commuting to school (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.19-1.73, P < 0.001). With higher mean temperatures, adolescents were more likely to choose an active mode of commuting from school (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.04, P = 0.029).

Conclusion: Certain weather conditions seem to influence the travel mode choice for commuting to and from school in youth, including season and temperature.

Keywords: climate; health behavior; journey; student; transportation.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Schools
  • Seasons
  • Spain
  • Temperature
  • Transportation / methods*
  • Weather*