Table 1 Information about observed variables and their descriptive statistics (N = 1085)
Observed variable | Latent variable | Description | Data source | Measurement scale | Descriptive statistics† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
School Travel Mode | |||||
Active school travel | – | How do you usually get to school? | SoftGIS | Passive travel: | 58.0% |
Car | 46.1% | ||||
Public transport | 11.9% | ||||
Active travel: | 42.0% | ||||
Walk | 34.4% | ||||
Bike | 3.9% | ||||
Scooter, skateboard | 3.8% | ||||
Child Characteristics | |||||
Year | – | Child’s school year | School/Parent consent form | Year 5 | 24.5% |
Year 6 | 26.4% | ||||
Year 7 | 24.2% | ||||
Year 8 | 24.9% | ||||
Sex | – | Child’s sex | School/Parent consent form | Male | 49.0% |
Female | 51.0% | ||||
Ethnicity | – | Child’s ethnicity | School/CATI | New Zealand (NZ) European | 52.7% |
Māori | 12.9% | ||||
Pacific | 15.3% | ||||
Asian | 15.0% | ||||
Physical activity | – | Percentage of time spent in overall (light + moderate + vigorous) physical activity during the morning (8:00–9:00 am) commute | Accelerometer | – | 8.8 ± 3.0 |
Child Beliefs | |||||
Traffic safety | – | 1. The roads around my school are busy with traffic before and after school. | SoftGIS | All of the time / Most of the time | 53.7% |
Sometimes / Hardly ever / Never | 46.0% | ||||
2. The roads around my school are full of parked cars before and after school. | SoftGIS | All of the time / Most of the time | 53.3% | ||
Sometimes / Hardly ever / Never | 46.2% | ||||
Neighbourhood safety | – | 1. If I am out with an adult, I feel safe in my neighbourhood. | SoftGIS | Sometimes / Hardly ever / Never/ Do not go out with an adult in the neighbourhood | 10.0% |
All of the time / Most of the time | 89.6% | ||||
2. If I go out without an adult, I feel safe in my neighbourhood. | SoftGIS | Sometimes / Hardly ever / Never / Do not go out without an adult in the neighbourhood | 45.2% | ||
All of the time / Most of the time | 54.6% | ||||
Independent mobility | – | 1. Are you allowed to cross main roads on your own? | SoftGIS | No | 32.3% |
Yes | 67.4% | ||||
2. Are you allowed to go on local buses or trains or ferries on your own? | SoftGIS | No | 71.2% | ||
Yes | 27.9% | ||||
3. If you have a bicycle, are you allowed to ride it to go to places? | SoftGIS | No / Do not have a bicycle | 40.5% | ||
Yes | 58.9% | ||||
Household Characteristics | |||||
Education | – | What is your highest academic qualification? | CATI | Certificate (levels 1–6), Diploma or lower | 51.2% |
Bachelor’s degree or higher | 30.0% | ||||
Employment | – | Which one best describes your main current employment situation? | CATI | Full-time | 40.0% |
Part-time | 25.0% | ||||
Number of adults | – | How many adults, including yourself, live in your household? | CATI | 1–2 adults | 65.6% |
Greater than or equal to 3 adults | 16.2% | ||||
Number of children | – | How many other children under 18 live in your household? | CATI | No other children | 12.1% |
1–2 children | 58.0% | ||||
Greater than or equal to 3 children | 11.7% | ||||
Car ownership | – | How many working cars are available to your household? | CATI | Less than or equal to 1 car | 18.1% |
Greater than or equal to 2 cars | 63.8% | ||||
Household Beliefs | |||||
Distance to school | – | What are the main reasons your child gets to school by (travel mode to school)? How important would you say this reason (i.e., distance to school) when deciding how your child gets to school? | CATI | Not main reason | 35.0% |
Not / A little bit important | 1.4% | ||||
Important / Very important | 41.9% | ||||
Traffic safety | – | What are the main reasons your child gets to school by (travel mode to school)? How important would you say this reason (i.e., traffic safety) when deciding how your child gets to school? | CATI | Not main reason | 78.5% |
Not / A little bit important | 0.2% | ||||
Important / Very important | 6.3% | ||||
Stranger danger | – | What are the main reasons your child gets to school by (travel mode to school)? How important would you say this reason (i.e., stranger danger) when deciding how your child gets to school? | CATI | Not main reason | 79.6% |
Not / A little bit important | 0.2% | ||||
Important / Very important | 5.6% | ||||
Convenience | – | What are the main reasons your child gets to school by (travel mode to school)? How important would you say this reason (i.e., convenience) when deciding how your child gets to school? | CATI | Not main reason | 56.0% |
Not / A little bit important | 3.4% | ||||
Important / Very important | 23.3% | ||||
Social interaction | – | What are the main reasons your child gets to school by (travel mode to school)? How important would you say this reason (i.e., social interaction) when deciding how your child gets to school? | CATI | Not main reason | 80.8% |
Not / A little bit important | 0.7% | ||||
Important / Very important | 4.2% | ||||
Social environment | |||||
Neighbourhood safety | Neighbourhood social environment | 1. There are safe places for children to play in our neighbourhood. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 12.7% |
Neither agree nor disagree | 5.9% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 62.2% | ||||
2. It’s a good place to bring up children. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 3.3% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 5.1% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 72.9% | ||||
3. I feel safe walking down my street after dark. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 22.0% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 7.0% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 51.5% | ||||
4. I worry about the number of crimes committed in our neighbourhood. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 38.2% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 11.2% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 31.4% | ||||
5. Graffiti and vandalism are problems. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 58.8% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 5.3% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 17.3% | ||||
6. Roaming dogs are a problem in our neighbourhood. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 62.3% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 4.1% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 14.8% | ||||
7. It’s a good place to buy a home. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 6.7% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 3.5% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 70.3% | ||||
8. Bullying is a problem in our neighbourhood. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 10.8% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 5.6% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 60.9% | ||||
9. There are a lot of families with young children living in our neighbourhood. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 6.1% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 4.5% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 69.0% | ||||
Neighbourhood cohesion | Neighbourhood social environment | 1. People are willing to help. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 5.5% |
Neither agree nor disagree | 7.7% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 64.5% | ||||
2. Neighbours watch out for kids. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 7.0% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 7.4% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 62.6% | ||||
3. It’s a close knit neighbourhood. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 19.4% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 15.3% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 44.5% | ||||
4. I could borrow $10 from a neighbour. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 22.7% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 5.1% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 46.9% | ||||
5. If there is a problem with neighbours, we can deal with it. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 5.4% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 5.1% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 67.9% | ||||
6. The neighbours cannot be trusted. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 65.4% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 6.0% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 7.0% | ||||
7. People will take advantage of you. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 64.6% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 5.3% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 7.6% | ||||
8. People you don’t know will greet you or say hello to you. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 6.9% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 5.9% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 68.0% | ||||
9. People of different backgrounds don’t talk to each other. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 52.9% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 7.6% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 17.9% | ||||
Neighbourhood connection | Neighbourhood social environment | 1. Parents in this neighbourhood know their children’s friends. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 8.0% |
Neither agree nor disagree | 6.1% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 61.1% | ||||
2. Adults in this neighbourhood know who the local children are. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 11.0% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 10.6% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 52.8% | ||||
3. There are adults in this neighbourhood that the children can look up to. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 9.8% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 10.0% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 51.9% | ||||
4. Parents in this neighbourhood generally know each other. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 13.0% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 10.9% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 53.5% | ||||
5. You can count on adults in this neighbourhood to watch out that children are safe and don’t get in trouble. | CATI | Strongly disagree / Disagree | 8.6% | ||
Neither agree nor disagree | 10.2% | ||||
Agree / Strongly agree | 56.3% | ||||
Built environment | |||||
Distance to school | – | Distance to school (in metres) along softGIS school routes | GIS | – | 2783.7 ± 3557.7 |
Distance to school (log-transformed) along softGIS school routes | GIS | – | 7.4 ± 1.0 | ||
Residential density | Active mobility environment | Ratio of residential dwellings to the residential land area (i.e., without water) of 80 m softGIS route buffer | GIS | – | 28.8 ± 10.8 |
Street connectivity | Active mobility environment | Ratio of number of intersections with three or more intersecting streets to the land area of 80 m softGIS route buffer | GIS | – | 56.6 ± 19.2 |
High traffic exposure | Active mobility environment | Length of high traffic roads within 80 m softGIS route buffer weighted by inverse softGIS route distance | GIS | – | 5.9 ± 4.9 |
Low traffic exposure | Active mobility environment | Length of low traffic roads within 80 m softGIS route buffer weighted by inverse softGIS route distance | GIS | – | 10.5 ± 8.2 |