KEY TAKEAWAY:
Child dietary patterns may vary by commute mode, with passive commuters consuming more calories from sweets and snacks.
RESULTS:
- Children who were passive commuters consumed 78 more calories from sweets and snack-type and purchased foods than active commuters, which may suggest that parents provide unhealthy food during the school commute. There was no significant difference in total energy intake by commute mode, however.
- Children who were passive commuters and did not participate in an afterschool program consumed 56 more calories from purchased foods and 25 more calories from sweets and snack-type foods than active commuters.
METHODS:
- Data was collected using 24-hour recall from fourth- and fifth-grade students in 44 California schools.
Madsen, K.A., Cotterman, C., Thompson, H.R., Rissman, Y., Rosen, N.J., Ritchie, L.D. (2014). Passive Commuting and Dietary Intake in Fourth and Fifth Grade Students. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. In press. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2014.09.033
web resource
