Abstract
BackgroundWhile promoting active commuting to school can positively affect children’s daily physical activity levels, effectively engaging community members to maximize program impact remains challenging. We evaluated the initial utility of adding a technology-enabled citizen science engagement model, called Our Voice, to a standard Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program to enhance program engagement activities and student travel mode behavior.MethodsIn Investigation 1, a prospective controlled comparison design was used to compare the initial year of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department’s SRTS program, with and without the Our Voice engagement model added, in two elementary schools in Gilroy, California, USA. School parents served as Our Voice citizen scientists in the SRTS + Our Voice school. In Investigation 2, the feasibility of the combined SRTS + Our Voice methods was evaluated in a middle school in the same district using students, rather than adults, as citizen scientists. Standard SRTS program engagement measures and student travel mode tallies were collected at the beginning and end of the school year for each school.ResultsIn the elementary school investigation (Investigation 1), the SRTS + Our Voice elementary school held twice as many first-year SRTS planning/encouragement events compared to the SRTS-Alone elementary school, and between-school changes in walking/biking to school rates favored the SRTS + Our Voice school (increases of 24.5% vs. 2.6%, P < .001). The Investigation 2 results supported the feasibility of using students to conduct SRTS + Our Voice in a middle school-age population.ConclusionsThe findings from this first-generation study indicated that adding a technology-enabled citizen science process to a standard elementary school SRTS program was associated with higher levels of community engagement and walking/biking to school compared to SRTS alone. The approach was also found to be acceptable and feasible in a middle school setting.
Highlights
While promoting active commuting to school can positively affect children’s daily physical activity levels, effectively engaging community members to maximize program impact remains challenging
Pre-Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program school transportation data Parental attitude and behavior survey data gathered in 2015 by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD) SRTS Program revealed that of the 855 parents surveyed, 86.2% (n = 737) reported that their children traveled to school by car, 10.4% (n = 89) walked to school, and 3.4% (n = 29) biked to school
Results from applying the SRTS + Our Voice approach in a middle school suggest that youth as well as adults can fully participate in this type of citizen science process
Summary
While promoting active commuting to school can positively affect children’s daily physical activity levels, effectively engaging community members to maximize program impact remains challenging. In particular, decreased from 41 to 13% between 1969 and 2001 [2], with only 35% of children in grades K-8 living within one mile of school reporting usually walking/biking to school [3]. This trend continues despite the fact that walking/biking to school contributes to healthy daily levels of physical activity [4]. Safe Routes to School (SRTS)--a national program promoting safe options for walking/biking to school [5]--has been shown to increase physical activity among school-aged children through supporting bicycle and pedestrian education, school wellness policies, and engineering improvements [6, 7]. The U.S SRTS model is built on the “Five E’s” concept: education, encouragement, evaluation, enforcement, and engineering [5]
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