Parental Perceptions and Perceived Environmental Influences on Active Transport to School in U.S. Inner-City Neighborhoods: Through the Lens of Health Equity

Abstract

Physical inactivity remains high amongst Asian American (AA) children. The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program is a viable approach for increasing levels of physical activity by encouraging active transport to school (ATS). The objective of this study was to investigate the factors that affect ATS among Asian American children in inner-city schools. An adapted version of the national SRTS survey that measures socio-demographics, environmental factors, and parental perceptions toward school routes and transportation modes were administered in eight public schools in Hamtramck, Michigan. Multinominal logistic regression results indicated that the age of children, distance to school, perceived school encouragement, and parents’ perceptions on safety were the predominant factors associated with Asian American children participating in ATS. The study is among the first to investigate underserved environmental and access factors that influence Asian American children’s ATS patterns. Particularly, these findings showed that the safety perceptions of parents play a key role in affecting their decisions about ATS and should be considered in future interventions and programming designs to promote ATS.