Perceived physical environment and active transport in adolescents: A systematic review

Perceptions of the physical environment influence adolescents' active transport. However, it is unclear which characteristics of the environment are most important for adolescents' active transport and whether parents' and adolescents’ perceptions influence their active transport behavior differently. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on the relationship between physical environment perceptions and active transport in adolescents.
A systematic search from May 2008 to March 2022 was conducted in seven databases. Titles and abstracts were screened independently by two reviewers using the open-source machine learning software “ASReview”. An effect direction plot was created to find overall effects between studies and a narrative synthesis was conducted to highlight differential aspects within studies. Study quality was assessed using the NIH Quality Assessment Tool.
Fifty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. Shorter perceived distance was consistently associated with more active transport. Possible associations between active transport and traffic and general safety, walking and cycling infrastructure, aesthetics, street connectivity, and mixed or summary environment scores were found. ... mehrIn studies assessing both parents' and adolescents’ perceptions, associations between perceived environment and active transport differed by survey group (adolescents/parents). Regarding gender differences, accessible destinations may be more important for boys while safe walking and cycling infrastructure may be more important for girls.
The findings, although limited mostly to cross-sectional studies conducted in single cities or districts, help to understand the relation between the environment and active transport from an adolescent perspective. Short distances, appropriate and safe walking and cycling infrastructure, and aesthetic surroundings are important for adolescents’ active transport. When designing active transport-friendly neighborhoods, different perceptions of adolescents and their parents, boys and girls should be considered.