Active commuting to early childhood education and care institutions among toddlers (2–3 years)

Abstract

Little is known about the modes of active commuting to and from school (ACS) in toddlers (2–3 years old). The aims of the present study are threefold: (a) to describe the modes of transport to and from early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions in toddlers; (b) to analyze the role of different barriers and neighbourhood characteristics, as perceived by parents, in ACS; and (c) to examine the contribution of ACS on levels of PA. Parents provided written input through a questionnaire about the modes of transport to school they use with their young children, the weekly use-frequency of each mode, as well as the barriers they perceived to walking or riding a bike to ECEC institutions. The final sample consisted of 154 young children from Valencia (Spain). In a randomly selected subsample of 44 children, PA was measured using accelerometers. Cars and strollers were the most common modes of transport in toddlers. Perceived distance to school was negatively correlated to ACS, whereas parents’ perceptions around planning/psychosocial barriers was also negatively associated with ACS. There was a significant and positive association between ACS and total PA. However, ACS contributes positively to toddlers’ overall PA levels. This study provides information about planning/psychosocial barriers as significant predictors of ACS in toddlers.