Investigating the Built Environment’s Influence on Child Active Transportation Injury and Prevalence
Date
2024-04-11
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Abstract
Background: Motor-vehicle collisions (MVCs) are a leading cause of Canadian child active transportation injuries. Specific built environment features may reduce child injury risk while increasing active transportation prevalence; however, few studies exist evaluating the effectiveness of these features specific to this age group. Further, it is important to understand how built environment features can influence community and school wide child active transportation injuries and prevalence. Methods: Using a modified stepped-wedge trial, Chapters 3 and 4 investigated the influence of installing specific built environment features on traffic speed and volume, active transportation prevalence, and caregiver perceptions of safety. Chapters 5 and 6 used machine learning recursive partitioning trees to predict the number of child active transportation related MVCs, and the proportion of elementary students using active transportation to school, based on the built environment within respective geographical areas. Results: Chapter 3 found traffic calming curbs and in-street signs were associated with a reduction in traffic speed, depending on time-period. No significant changes in traffic volume were found immediately following installation. In-street signs were associated with a reduction of active transportation prevalence in the morning, and an increase in the afternoon. Chapter 4 found traffic calming curb installation was associated with higher proportions of caregiver perceptions of safety. Some respondents showed higher proportions of reported children walking to school at intervention locations. Chapter 5 found built environment features such as signalized intersections were predictive of annual collisions. Chapter 6 showed population density to be important in predicting active transportation prevalence to school. Conclusions: Results of this thesis support calls for a systems approach to road safety. The variability in characteristics of the urban environment that are associated with child active transportation safety and prevalence suggests that no single intervention would be as effective as a more holistic and comprehensive approach. Specific features such as traffic calming curbs and in-street signs, coupled with reductions of major roadways and increases in population density, may, together, have a considerable and lasting effect on improving active transportation safety for Canadian children.
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Keywords
Injury prevention, Built environment, Active transportation, Children
Citation
HubkaRao, T. (2024). Investigating the built environment’s influence on child active transportation injury and prevalence (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.