Children’s Active Commuting to School Influenced by Parental Habits

If you engaged in walking or cycling to school during your youth, it’s more likely that your children will adopt similar habits today. A recent study published in the European Journal of Public Health by researchers from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, highlights the strong intergenerational link between parents’ and their children’s school commuting behaviors. The findings suggest that active commuting—such as walking or biking—is an effective, simple way to incorporate daily physical activity into children’s routines.

According to the study, which analyzed survey data from two generations, there is a notable positive correlation between parents’ active commuting in their youth during the 1980s and their children’s habits in 2018. This connection remains significant even after adjusting for various background factors including distance to school, school grade, urban or rural residence, gender, parental education, and family income.

Parental influence plays a particularly crucial role during primary school years. Young children tend to mirror their parents’ attitudes and behaviors regarding physical activity and active commuting. As children grow and gain independence, the influence shifts more towards peers, but early years remain critical for establishing habits.

Walking or cycling to school not only provides essential daily exercise but also fosters lifelong healthy behaviors. Promoting active commuting can be especially important given the rising levels of physical inactivity among youth. By supporting and enabling children to walk or cycle to school, parents contribute to a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle for future generations.

This research is part of the larger Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, which began in 1980 and expanded into a three-generation project by 2018. The study involved 660 parent-child pairs and examined various factors influencing school commuting habits over the decades.

Supporting active commuting from a young age has profound implications for public health. It encourages healthy physical activity and contributes to environmental sustainability. As parents’ own experiences and positive attitudes toward active commuting influence their children, fostering a culture of walking and cycling can help persist these habits across generations.