Investigators: Gina Trapp, Anna Gannett, Heather Croll
Why is this study important?
Active School Transport (AST), such as walking and cycling to school, can significantly contribute to children’s physical activity levels, reduce traffic congestion around schools, increase children’s mental and social health and increase children’s independence. However, rates of AST have declined rapidly across many Western countries including Australia over the past four decades. Understanding the factors contributing to declining AST in Perth is now a key focus of the Western Australia Department of Transport and other stakeholders, but they lack access to up-to-date and innovative data to help inform future interventions to increase AST.
What is this study about?
In 2005, Dr Gina Trapp (Lead Investigator) coordinated the TRavel, Environment, and Kids (TREK) project which aimed to investigate the impact of the built environment on children’s AST. The TREK project involved assessing the walkability surrounding all Perth government primary schools and conducting a cross-sectional survey of parents/carers, students, and principals within the least and most walkable primary schools to understand AST prevalence, attitudes, barriers and enablers. Further research investigating the influence of the built environment around Perth schools and children’s AST has been called for by the Department of Transport. The research team will work in partnership with the Department of Transport over 2021-2023 to conduct an expanded version of the 2005 TREK project to provide much needed up-to-date evidence to underpin structural and behavioural interventions to increase children’s AST in Perth.
The TREK2School Study aims to create an evidence base to inform targeted interventions to increase AST in primary and secondary school aged students by meeting the following objectives:
- Assess the walkability of the immediate environment surrounding all Perth schools in 2021 and investigate whether it differs by socioeconomic status and school type (i.e. primary, secondary and K-12) and walkability scores from 2005.
- Investigate primary and secondary school aged children’s AST prevalence, latent demand for AST, parental/child safety concerns regarding AST, and use of food outlets en-route to and from school in high and low walkable schools.
- Develop an innovative interactive mapping activity to identify hotspots of safety concerns near primary and secondary schools that are related to AST.
How will this study be conducted?
This study is being conducted in three phases. Phase One is a walkability assessment of all 655 schools (primary, secondary, and k-12) in Perth using a geographic information system (GIS) software. Phase Two is the development of an interactive mapping activity to gather place-based data about safety concerns surrounding schools. Phase Three is a cross-sectional survey of parents/carers, students in Years 5-12, and principals in the most walkable and least walkable primary and secondary government schools in Perth to understand AST prevalence, attitudes, barriers and enablers as well as to identify hotspots of pedestrian safety concerns.
Who is conducting this study?
The TREK2School Study is led by researchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia (Dr Gina Trapp), The Australian Urban Design Research Centre (Dr Paula Hooper) and The University of Western Australia (Dr Julie Saunders, Dr David Preen, and PhD candidate Anna Gannett) in partnership with the Western Australian Department of Transport.
Who is funding this study?
The TREK2School Study is supported by funding from the Australian Research Council and the Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC).
Who to contact for more information?
For more information about the TREK2School Study, please contact the Project Coordinator, Anna Gannett at on (08) 6319 1464 or email trek2school@telethonkids.org.au
