Parental Concerns about Children’s Independent Mobility in Australian Cities

Abstract

In countries such as Australia, children's active and independent mobility has declined in the past 40 years, with less children walking to school. As physical activity is a key component of child health and well-being this decrease in children’s independent mobility (CIM) and active travel (AT) has placed children at greater risk of physical and mental health problems. To confront this problem, travel behaviour change interventions to promote active and independent school travel are currently deployed in Australia by local and state governments. To date there have been few comprehensive studies of these interventions and in particular, whether and how they relate to contemporary parental attitudes and perceptions about CIM. There remain significant research gaps about the relative importance of travel behaviour change programs in parental decision-making processes. As part of the larger iMATCH (independent Mobility, Active Travel and Children’s Health) Project this research sought to identify the range of current interventions being used in Australia, the attitudes and perceptions of parents and guardians in a range of urban environments across the country, and to explore how interventions may better respond to these concerns to increase their effectiveness. A theoretical framework based on Azjen’s (1988) Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Trans- theoretical model of behaviour change (TTM) was developed to guide the research. The suggested theoretical model was examined by adopting the structural equation modelling (SEM). The valid and reliable model was introduced regarding evaluating, designing, and running travel behaviour change interventions. This model was employed as a fundamental structure for guiling the research process. Interventions used in Australia were examined firstly using published project evaluations, websites and other reports, with attention given to their treatment of CIM and their efficacy. The broader iMATCH study used child and parent surveys and travel diaries, amongst other methods, collected from schools in nine neighbourhoods in Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Rockhampton. Responses provided in 309 parent surveys were examined in detail. A total of nine parents from two schools in Brisbane and one in Ipswich that were part of the broader study were then recruited for either a focus group discussion or a face-to-face interview, eliciting further detail on their attitudes.