Active commuting to school The relevance of active commuting to school in primary school children from Germany

Background In Germany and other industrial countries, many children are not physically active enough and suffer increasingly from secondary diseases caused by a lack of activity. Active commuting to school is a relevant domain of physical activity and presents an important starting point for interventions to promote physical activity in primary school-age. Objective The article provides an overview of current research on active commuting to school in primary school children and focuses on the relevance of the phenomenon from the perspective of health research in Germany. Methods The presentation of the state of research is based on a narrative review that includes national and international literature which has been identified by a literature search and has been summarized. Measurement methods, prevalence and historical trends, findings on health effects and influencing factors as well as intervention programmes to increase active commuting to school at primary school-age are discussed. Results Recent studies showed, that between 47% and 81% of primary school children in Germany actively commute to school. Active commuting is positively associated with both numerous health parameters and the level of overall physical activity. In particular, the distance to school and social factors, such as parental support and safety concerns, are associated with the extent of active commuting to school. Some practically orientated publications on interventions to promote active commuting at German primary schools (such as "walking school bus" programs) are available, but have hardly been scientifically evaluated. Conclusion In order to promote physical activity at primary school-age, interventions to promote active commuting to school should be developed and scientifically evaluated.