Is physical literacy associated with active transportation among children? A general mixed model analysis across twelve schools

Anna Stage*, Anne Kelso, Peter Elsborg, Peter Bentsen, Johannes Carl

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Background: Active transportation (AT) marks an eco-friendly mode of physical activity that is well integrable into daily life. Despite the dominance of social-ecological approaches to explaining AT, previous studies often drew on a fragmented set of variables to describe AT behavior. The concept of physical literacy (PL) comprises physical, affective, and cognitive determinants for physical activity and, therefore, enables a concentrated, theory-guided view on intraindividual determinants for AT. The goal of the present study was to examine empirical associations between PL and modes of AT (considering the influencing and moderating effect of grade and sex/gender, respectively). Methods: Within the scope of the DAPL study, data from 663 children (age: 6–13 years) from 41 classes (grades 1–6) across twelve schools in Denmark were analyzed. The school children (mean age: 9.81 years; 55 % girls) completed measurements of PL (Danish version of the CAPL-2: physical, affective, and cognitive component; total score) and self-reported their AT mode for seven days. We calculated general mixed models with the class as a random-effects factor to examine the relationship between PL and six different modes of AT. Results: Total PL as well the physical, cognitive, and affective domains of PL were not associated with overall AT (p > 0.05). However, we found significant associations of total PL (B = 0.35) and the physical domain (B = 0.21) with biking. The affective and cognitive domains of PL did not significantly correlate with any AT indicator. The present effects were not moderated by students’ grade and sex/gender. Conclusions: Public health strategies should strive for a mode-tailored approach when targeting children's AT. Person-centered health and physical education must increase their efforts in promoting children's holistic biking skills to effectively foster AT behavior. The provision of holistic experiences should emphasize the integration of psychomotor and affective learning.

Original languageEnglish
JournalTransportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
Volume108
Pages (from-to)28-38
ISSN1369-8478
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2025

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was supported by Trygfonden (Id: 125640) and The Industrial Researcher Program, Innovation Fund Denmark (9065-00060B). The funders have not been involved in the study design, analyses, interpretation, writing or decision to submit this paper.

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