Active commuting to school and physical activity participation in children and adolescents: evidence from a large cross-sectional study in Greece

Introduction Active commuting to school, such as walking or cycling, represents an accessible opportunity for children and adolescents to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines. This study examined the prevalence of active, mixed, and passive commuting to school and the demographic, behavioral, and contextual correlates of commuting mode among school-aged students in Greece. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between early 2024 and April 2025 among school-aged students (N = 20,932) recruited from public schools in the metropolitan regions of Attica and Thessaloniki, Greece. Data were collected using structured questionnaires assessing commuting mode, organized and non-organized physical activity, perceived barriers to active commuting, and home-to-school distance. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the independent associations of demographic, behavioral, and contextual characteristics with commuting mode, with active commuting as the reference category. Results Among participants with valid commuting data, 68.8% were classified as active commuters. Active commuters reported higher levels of non-organized physical activity than passive commuters (p < .001). Home-to-school distance showed the strongest association with commuting mode, with the odds of mixed and passive commuting increasing progressively across distance categories. Higher perceived barriers were also associated with greater odds of mixed (aOR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.57–1.93) and passive commuting (aOR = 2.40, 95% CI 2.20–2.62) relative to active commuting. Discussion Active commuting was common in this large school-based sample, and commuting mode was associated with home-to-school distance, perceived barriers, physical activity participation, and organized sport participation.