Effects of Funding Allocation for Safe Routes to School Programs on Active Commuting to School and Related Behavioral, Knowledge, and Psychosocial Outcomes

Abstract

Few controlled evaluations of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) initiatives have been conducted. The Texas Childhood Obesity Prevention Policy Evaluation (T-COPPE) study included three conditions: schools awarded infrastructure (I) projects ( n = 23), schools awarded noninfrastructure (NI) projects ( n = 21), and matched comparison (C) schools ( n = 34). Fourth-grade children completed tallies to determine transport to/from schools. Serial cross-sectional surveys were collected from students and parents at baseline (2009) and follow-up (2012). Data were analyzed using mixed linear regression and growth curve models. Morning percent active commuting to school (ACS) in I and NI schools were higher than C schools ( p = .024, p = .013, respectively). Afternoon percent ACS in NI schools decreased more over time compared with C schools ( p = .009). I and NI school students had higher ACS self-efficacy; similar results were noted for parents in I schools. Policies that provide cost-reimbursement funding for SRTS achieve modest short-term ACS outcomes, with few differences between types of funding allocations.