Recorded presentation

Catherine Giles, BA¹, Laura A. Linnan, ScD, CHES², Dianne Ward, EdD¹, Sarah Martin, PhD³, and Amber Vaughn, MPH, RD¹. (1) Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1700 Airport Road, CB7426, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7426, 919-843-0900, cgiles@email.unc.edu, (2) Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, UNC Chapel Hill School of Public Health, CB #7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7440, (3) Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE; Mailstop K-46, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717

In order to plan for an intervention that incorporates the Political Economy of Health (PEH) framework to support active travel to school, key informant interviews were conducted in two school communities in North Carolina. PEH posits that larger systemic issues embedded in political, economic, historical and social factors impact opportunities for people to engage in healthy behaviors. Thirteen key informants were identified through their participation in planning Walk to School Day events at two schools or via community member recommendations. Respondents included school administrators, parents, teachers, town officials and additional community members. The findings from the interviews indicated that active travel to school has become less common over the years, characterized now by adults with nostalgia. Key informants perceived some of the most significant factors related to the decline in active travel to school include social attitudes regarding community safety, land development policies and school site selection policies. Key informants perceived their communities to be homogenous with respect to income, but felt that, in general, high income families are able to afford to have one parent stay at home to walk or bike to school with their children. Key informants easily identified a number of groups who have the power to make changes related to active travel to school, including town officials, school district officials, developers, parents and school personnel.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the rationale and process for conducting key informant interviews
• Articulate school personnel and community members’ perceptions of social, historical, economic and political issues related to walking/biking to school
• Identify at least three targets of intervention at the larger policy or social level to support safe environments for children to walk/bike to school

Keywords: Physical Activity, School-Based Programs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation