Parental provision of transportation for adolescent physical activity

Background: Physical activity (PB) is important to adolescents' health. Par ent transportation to activity locations is a practical strategy for increa sing youth PA that has rarely been examined. Design: Cross-sectional surveys of students and parents. Setting/Participants: Ethnically diverse students (N=1678; 712 boys, 966 gi rls; M age=13.0 years) from 24 middle schools (grades six to eight) and the ir. parents completed surveys (response rate=72%). Main Outcome Measures: Frequency of parents transporting adolescents to PA locations was studied in relation to adolescents' reported participation in PA during the previous week and their involvement in sports and activity l essons during the past year. Results: Parents transported adolescents to PA locations 2.13 times per wee k, with boys being transported more often than girls (p=0.03). Ethnic/racia l differences in frequency of transport were evidenced (p=0.002). Parent tr ansportation for PA significantly contributed to girls' total PA (p=0.001) and their participation in sports/activity lessons (p=0.001). Transportatio n contributed marginally (p=0.06) to boys' total PX, but significantly to t heir participation in sports/activity lessons (p=0.001). Conclusions: Parent provision of transportation to activity locations is as sociated with out-of-school PA in a diverse adolescent population. This var iable should be targeted for intervention.