Institutional Repository

26 Background: Distance from home to school is an important influence on the decision 27 to use active transport (AT); however, ecological perspectives would suggest this relationship 28 may be moderated by individual, interpersonal, and environmental factors. This study 29 investigates whether (i) gender, (ii) biological maturation, (iii) perceived family support for 30 physical activity (PA), and (iv) multiple deprivation moderate the relationship between 31 distance to school and AT. 32 Methods: 611 children (11-12 years old, 334 females) were recruited from schools in 33 Leicestershire, UK. Gender, family support for PA, and AT were self-reported. Home and 34 school postcodes were used to determine multiple deprivation and distance to school (km). 35 Predicted age at peak height velocity was used to indicate biological maturation. 36 Results: Logistic regressions revealed the main effects explained 40.2% of the 37 variance in AT; however; distance to school was the only significant predictor. Further 38 analyses revealed that distance to school had a greater negative impact on the use of AT in 39 late-maturing (OR: 3.60, CI: 1.45-8.96), less deprived (OR: 3.54, CI: 1.17-10.72), and 40 children with low family support of PA (OR: 0.26, CI: 0.11-0.61). 41 Conclusions: This study provides evidence that, although distance to school might be 42 the strongest predictor of AT, this relationship is complex. 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50