Why children in Queensland walk to school less than children in Victoria? A formative social marketing study

Evidence indicates that lower levels of obesity among school-age children can be achieved through active travel to school. This research aims to identify differences in walk to/from school behaviour between the states of... [ view full abstract ]

Evidence indicates that lower levels of obesity among school-age children can be achieved through active travel to school. This research aims to identify differences in walk to/from school behaviour between the states of Queensland and Victoria, and investigate how the factors in the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) may offer potential to influence carers’ decisions about their children’s active transport to school. The results from two online surveys of 1076 carers in both states indicate that carers’ behavioural intention, affective/instrumental attitudes, injunctive/descriptive norms, and carers’ control over the transport method differed between Queensland and Victoria. The TPB explained 34.9% of the variance in walking to and from school. Data indicates that increasing affective attitudes, perceived behavioural control, social norms and intentions will increase the incidence of walking to and from school in both Queensland and Victoria.