Sociodemographic and socioeconomic determinants of active daily travel, linked and unlinked to school, among schoolchildren in the Basque Country
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24310/riccafd.15.1.2026.23061Keywords:
active travel, physical activity, accelerometry, sleep, school-aged populationAbstract
ABSTRACT
Objective: To analyze the prevalence of active commuting to school and daily active travel and to identify their sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and territorial determinants in the school-aged population.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 1,032 schoolchildren aged 6 to 18 years from the Basque Country. Active commuting to school and daily active travel were assessed using self-reported questionnaires and classified as active or passive. Physical activity and sleep were objectively measured using actigraphy. Bivariate analyses and multivariable binary logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and territorial variables were performed.
Results: Active commuting to school was reported by 59.8% of participants, and 64.2% reported daily active travel. In both cases, active travel was exclusively associated with higher levels of light physical activity. In adjusted models, active commuting to school was associated with sex, province, and the socioeconomic deprivation index, whereas daily active travel was associated with deprivation index, province, and type of school (public/private).
Conclusions: Active travel among schoolchildren shows a clear socioeconomic and provincial component, with partially different determinants depending on whether it involves commuting to school or daily active travel. Its contribution is mainly observed in light physical activity, reinforcing the need for active mobility strategies adapted to the provincial context and socioeconomic inequalities.
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