Active Travel in Rural New Zealand: A Study of Rural Adolescents’ Perceptions of Walking and Cycling to School

Background: Understanding students’ perceptions of walking and cycling to school  informs active travel interventions and policy. However, perceptions of students in  rural settings are unknown, yet they are important predictors of active travel use.  This study examined perceptions of walking and cycling to school among adolescents ineligible for school transport financial assistance (living ≤4.8 km of school)  in rural New Zealand. Methods: Adolescents (n = 62; 53.2% female; 15.6 ± 1.5 years; five schools) resid?ing and attending a secondary school in a rural setting (population < 1,000) completed an online survey about their perceptions of walking and cycling to school  (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control/intention). Home-toschool distance was calculated using a geographic information system’s shortest  network path analysis. Results: Overall, 73% walked and 11% cycled to school. Compared to cycling,  adolescents reported a greater desire (57% vs 26%) and intention (74% vs 13%)  to walk to school and perceived more support from friends (37% vs 30%), parents  (81% vs 40%), and schools (61% vs 34%) (all p < 0.001). Adolescents also reported  better physical infrastructure (presence/availability of footpaths vs cycle lanes)  for walking versus cycling to school (86% vs 36%, p < 0.001). Over 95% perceived  both walking and cycling to school as safe. Conclusions: Compared to cycling, walking to school was a more common and  preferred transport mode with greater perceived social support and physical  infrastructure. The findings suggest that supportive social and built environments  appear to encourage walking to school in rural areas. Mode-specific approaches  may be required to encourage cycling to school for rural adolescents.