Active Commuting to School

Abstract

Declines in physical activity levels have coincided with increasing rates of obesity in children. This is problematic because physical activity has been shown to attenuate weight gain in children. Active commuting to school is one way of increasing children’s physical activity. However, given the high rates of child pedestrian injury, preventive strategies to reduce these risks are needed. Programs such as the Walking School Bus provide opportunities to not only promote pedestrian safety but increase children’s energy expenditure.