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The Impact of Safety on Walk-to-School Behavior: Analysis of Local Safe Routes to School Program Data

Swidarski, Katherine
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1160-5457
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu15428173477092

Abstract Details

2018, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Public Health.
Introduction: Lack of physical activity and unintentional injury are leading causes of morbidity among children and associated with significant disadvantages physically, socially and academically. Safety barriers and parental perceptions of safety can prevent children from obtaining the benefits of daily physical activity, like walking to school. Programs that promote walking to school, such as the evidence-based Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, can alleviate physical barriers to safety in the environment and increase opportunities for being active. Supportive SRTS policies at all levels of government can design safer streets and lead to institutionalization of the program. The purpose of this study is to better understand objective and perceived safety factors that influence walk to school behavior among elementary school families and assess how policies may impact the opportunity for children to safely walk to school. Methods: Multiple methods, motivated by a socioecological framework, were used to investigate safety factors, including speed of traffic, amount of traffic, sidewalk continuity, safety of intersections, and presence of registered sex offenders. Data on parental perceptions of safety (n=10,810) from cross-sectional SRTS surveys collected by a total of 82 schools in three locations, and corresponding objective safety from online repositories for the area within 1-mile of school locations, were used to quantify safety. First, spatial distribution of safety was explored through a combination of spatial and non-spatial analyses using location data for parents, schools and safety factors. Then, multi-level logistic regression models were built to identify factors associated with the outcome of walking to school. Finally, a review of local, regional, state and federal education and transportation policies was conducted to measure inclusion of child pedestrian language and seven effective policy components adapted from a SRTS guide. Results: Approximately half of parents’ perceptions were mismatched with the objective measure of safety for all factors except amount of traffic. All three programs had a high density of unsafe speed around schools, but the density of perceived lack of safety was consistent across factors and programs. Joint count analysis found spatial patterning of safety varied among SRTS programs. In logistic regression analyses, odds of walking to school (versus driving or using any other mode) changed significantly for a single unit increase/decrease in safety and salient safety factors differed across programs. Review of SRTS policies revealed no school level policies directly addressing walking to school as a form of transportation and an absence of pedestrian-specific language within policies at all levels. Policies were also frequently missing at least one component for more effectively providing opportunities for children to safely walk to school. Discussion: This study provides critical considerations about traffic, neighborhood and policy influences on safety. Objective and perceived safety need to be considered together to address barriers keeping children from safely walking to school. SRTS survey data can be useful in that process. These data reveal significant, location-specific factors that influence a family’s choice to walk. Results also indicate that policies need to be better designed to explicitly promote health and prevent injury of children.
elizabeth klein (Advisor)
phyllis pirie (Committee Member)
elisabeth root (Committee Member)
297 p.
Public Health; Transportation
safety; children; commuting to school; physical activity; safe routes to school; school; walking; active transportation; walking to school

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Swidarski, K. (2018). The Impact of Safety on Walk-to-School Behavior: Analysis of Local Safe Routes to School Program Data [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu15428173477092

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Swidarski, Katherine. The Impact of Safety on Walk-to-School Behavior: Analysis of Local Safe Routes to School Program Data . 2018. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu15428173477092.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Swidarski, Katherine. "The Impact of Safety on Walk-to-School Behavior: Analysis of Local Safe Routes to School Program Data ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu15428173477092

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu15428173477092
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.