Strengths and vulnerabilities of teenagers who skateboard for transport in New Zealand

Abstract

BackgroundSkateboarding as a mode of transport is not often considered when planning the built environment. Skateboarders are vulnerable road users and are often made to feel unwelcome no matter where they ride. In New Zealand (NZ), skateboarders can legally travel on the road but are often ostracized and feel obligated to use the footpath, where they can threaten the safety of other users, and skateboarding bylaws vary by city. MethodsA comprehensive online survey, querying teenagers about their transport habits and subjective well-being, was disseminated to secondary schools in Southland, NZ in 2015 (n = 775). ResultsOverall, 7% of adolescents (n = 50; 72% male) used skateboarding for transport. Those who skateboarded reported more physical activity during the previous week (μ = 5.2 days/week) than their counterparts who used other modes of transport (μ = 4.3 days/week). Skateboard users also accessed more activities during the previous month than their counterparts (μ = 17.4 and μ = 15.7, respectively), and exhibited higher self-perceived strengths than those who used other modes on a validated subjective well-being scale (μ = 14.4 and μ = 11.3, respectively). However, skateboarders also reported more screen time use (μ = 5.9 h/day) than the rest of the sample (μ = 4.7) and 52% reported feeling unsafe while travelling. ConclusionsSkateboarding for transport is a valid form of active transportation with perceived benefits for the user, and more research is needed to assess the potential bidirectional relationship between skateboarding and well-being. Skateboarding should be included as a transport mode in household transport surveys, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of both teenage well-being and transport modal split to inform research and policy endeavours.