Parent and Child Perceptions of Barriers to Active School Commuting

ABSTRACT BACKGROUNDActive commuting (AC) to and from school can contribute to physical activity, although it has recently seen a global decline. The purpose of this study was to examine the agreement between parent and child perceptions of barriers to school AC. METHODSParticipants were parents (N = 152, Mage = 40.6 ± 6.3 years) and elementary school children (N = 98, Mage = 10.0 ± 1.2 years). School commute type/frequency and barriers to AC were collected via surveys. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess relative agreement between parent and child perceptions (N = 98 dyads). Paired t tests and equivalence testing were employed to assess group‐level agreement. Bland‐Altman analysis was used to assess individual‐level agreement. Partial correlations of AC with perceptions were also assessed. RESULTSAll parent and child perceptions of barriers to AC to school had low agreement. Bland‐Altman Plots indicated negative bias for all but 3 barrier perceptions. Paired t tests indicated significant differences between parent and child perceptions for 8 out of 15 barriers while equivalence testing deemed no parent‐child perception equivalent. Partial correlations with AC frequency were significant for 7 parent perceptions and 2 child perceptions. CONCLUSIONSParent and child perceptions have low agreement. Programs aimed at promoting AC to and from school should account for these discrepancies.