Study highlights health benefits of Walking Buses

Hertfordshire - the first county in the UK to introduce Walking Buses – has unveiled research that it claims confirms the health benefits of to walking to school.

The County Council worked with University College London on the study, ‘Reducing children’s car use: the health and potential car dependency impacts’, that sites Walking Buses as a healthy alternative to driving to school.

The study also shows that car use has increased by 17 per cent in 14 years (see graph opposite) and that this is related to the growing number of overweight children and adults.

The study concludes that ‘all young people should participate in physical activity of at least moderate intensity for one hour per day’. This would benefit children in later life by reducing the risks of heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, joint problems, osteoporosis, stress, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

A number of children were found not to be reaching the recommended level of activity. The graph below suggests that walking to and from school is an excellent way to help address this.

The study also claims that walking and cycling also ‘make children aware of their local environment, develop road sense, assess risk and become more self-reliant.’

When parents were asked why they opted to drive their children to school, they gave a number of reasons including:-

• School is on route to work
  
• It’s too far to walk
  
• Peace of mind – to know they have arrived safely
  
• Roads are too dangerous to walk or cycle
  
• Time – it is quicker by car
  
• Convenience when taking children to different schools
  
• Lack of a suitable bus route

Given all of the above, getting children to walk to school can be a difficult task - but the study suggests introducing a Walking Bus is one way of addressing this issue. As well as increasing fitness among children, a Walking Bus has benefits for the environment and for pupils’ safety, social and mental wellbeing.

Further details about the project can be found at: www.cts.ucl.ac.uk/research/chcaruse