Active commuting to school and physical activity participation in children and adolescents: evidence from a large cross-sectional study in Greece
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece
- 2Physical Education and Sports, Division of Humanities and Political Sciences, Hellenic Naval Academy, Piraeus, Athens, Greece
- 3Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Serres, Greece
- 4Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece
Abstract
IntroductionActive 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.MethodsA 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.ResultsAmong 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.DiscussionActive 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.
Related
- Is active commuting to school associated with meeting physical activity recommendations among Saudi adolescents? A cross-sectional study
- Free/low-cost physical activity opportunities for children and adolescents: Parental perspectives on participation, access and provision
- Changes in the frequency of vigorous physical activity across four survey cycles: analyses of 12-year repeated cross-sectional surveys of 729,201 adolescents
- Active commuting to and from preschool and device-measured physical activity in Swedish preschool children: a cross-sectional study
- Unequal starting lines: gendered barriers to participation and outcomes in a peer-led physical activity program for adolescents living with HIV in India
BibTeX
@article{karakatsanis2026active,
title = {{Active commuting to school and physical activity participation in children and adolescents: evidence from a large cross-sectional study in Greece}},
author = {Konstantinos Karakatsanis and Konstantinos Karakatsanis and Ioannis Trigonis and Gerasimos V. Grivas and Ioannis Tsartsapakis and Aglaia Zafeiroudi},
journal = {Frontiers in Physiology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fphys.2026.1848228},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2026.1848228},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Active commuting to school and physical activity participation in children and adolescents: evidence from a large cross-sectional study in Greece
AU - Konstantinos Karakatsanis
AU - Konstantinos Karakatsanis
AU - Ioannis Trigonis
AU - Gerasimos V. Grivas
AU - Ioannis Tsartsapakis
AU - Aglaia Zafeiroudi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Frontiers in Physiology
DO - 10.3389/fphys.2026.1848228
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2026.1848228
AB - IntroductionActive 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.MethodsA 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.ResultsAmong 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.DiscussionActive 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.
SN - 1664-042X
ER -