Bicycling to school is associated with improvements in physical fitness over a 6-year follow-up period in Swedish children

Chillón, PalmaDepartment of Physical Education and Sport, School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain (författare)

Funding Agencies:Stockholm County CouncilSpanish Ministry of Science and Innovation RYC-2010-05957 RYC-2011-09011
OBJECTIVE: To examine whether modes of commuting to school at baseline and changes in commuting were related to 6-year changes in cardiorespiratory fitness in youth.METHODS: A total of 262 (142 girls) Swedish children (9 years at entry) were measured at baseline (1998/9) and follow-up (2004/5). Mode of commuting to school was assessed by questionnaire and fitness by a maximal bicycle test.RESULTS: At baseline, 34% of children used passive modes of commuting (e.g., car, motorcycle, bus, train), 54% walked, and 12% bicycled to school. Six years later the percentage of bicyclists increased 19% and the percentage of walkers decreased 19%. On average, children who bicycled to school increased their fitness 13% (p=0.03) more than those who used passive modes and 20% (p=0.002) more than those who walked. Children who used passive modes or walked at baseline and bicycled to school at 6 years later increased their fitness 14% (p=0.001) more than those who remained using passive modes or walking at follow-up.CONCLUSIONS: Implementing initiatives that encourage bicycling to school may be a useful strategy to increase cardiorespiratory fitness of children.

Ortega, Francisco BKarolinska Institutet (författare)
Ruiz, Jonatan RKarolinska Institutet (författare)
Evenson, Kelly RDepartment of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolinat, Chapel Hill NC, United States; Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, United States (författare)
Labayen, IdoiaDepartment of Biosciences and Nutrition, Unit for Preventive Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain (författare)
Martínez-Vizcaino, VicenteSocial and Health Care Research Center, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Cuenca, Spain (författare)
Hurtig-Wennlöf, Anita,1958-Örebro universitet,Institutionen för hälsovetenskap och medicin(Swepub:oru)awf (författare)
Veidebaum, ToomasNational Institute for Heath Development, Centre of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Tallinn, Estonia (författare)
Sjöström, MichaelKarolinska Institutet (författare)
Karolinska InstitutetDepartment of Physical Education and Sport, School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain (creator_code:org_t)

Av författaren/redakt...: Chillón, Palma; Ortega, Francisc ...; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Evenson, Kelly R; Labayen, Idoia; Martínez-Vizcain ...; visa fler...; Hurtig-Wennlöf, ...; Veidebaum, Tooma ...; Sjöström, Michae ...; visa färre...

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