Socio-Ecological Correlates of Active School Travel in Primary School Children: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Objectives: To counteract the decline in active school travel (AST), this study applies a socio-ecological framework to examine individual, family, and environmental correlates of AST in primary school children, with a particular focus on parental perceptions. Methods: Data on anthropometry, physical activity (PA), family and environmental factors of first graders (n=471, 53% male) were collected through screening and parent-reported questionnaires. Associations between socio-ecological variables and school travel behavior (active vs. non-active) were analyzed using hierarchical binary logistic regression. Variables were entered in blocks (individual, family, environment). Model fit was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and Nagelkerke’s R². Results: Perceived walking time to school showed the strongest negative association with AST (OR=0.91, p<0.001). Several family-level correlates, including maternal education level, household size, family health climate for PA, parental walking, and parental moderate-to-vig- orous PA, were significantly associated with AST (p<0.05). At the individual level, higher body fat percentage was negatively associated with AST (p<0.05). Conclusions: The findings highlight the complex interplay of individual-level characteristics, family factors, and perceived environmental conditions in shaping children’s AST. Parental perceptions of walking distance emerged as a key correlate, alongside family-level factors such as parental attitudes toward PA and role modeling of PA. These findings underscore the need for interventions that extend beyond infrastructural improvements by engaging parents in promoting active lifestyles and supporting children’s independent mobility.