Difficulty measuring the mode, time and distance of commute in children to extracurricular activities. DESACEX questionnaire validation

Abstract

Abstract. Introduction: Active commuting is an opportunity to increase the amount of physical activity, which is why it is necessary to find new times and routines commuting in which it is interesting to intervene to increase the levels of active commuting and as a consequence, of daily physical activity. The extracurricular activities are in clear growth since the parents consider that they are a fundamental element in the formation of their sons and daughters, for that reason they suppose a great number of urban displacements and in this way they become a possibility to foment the active displacement. In this sense it is necessary before intervening to analyze the habits of displacement, to be able to design appropriate interventions in the future. There are no validated instruments and therefore, in the present investigation a questionnaire that serves as a tool for future research is validated. Methodology: The sample consisted of 125  students from the 5^th and 6h degree of Primary Education (67 boys and 58 girls), as an instrument for data collection, an adaptation of the PACO questionnaire was used for extracurricular activities. Results: the majority of the trips to extracurricular activities/lessons in the study were by car (60.3% to the extracurricular activities and 59.5% to return home). The results showed moderate reliability in terms of travel mode (K = .62, in the outbound and K =.50, in the return) and in terms of the time it takes to arrive (k = 0.59) and acceptable level in the distance to extracurricular students (K = .34). Discussion: The level of reliability of the proposed questionnaire is moderate and therefore, it might be used as a measuring instrument of the different types of commuting, adult accompaniment and number of weekly trips. Low values of reliability have been found in the questions about distance to the extracurricular activities school and in the time it takes to arrive. It is necessary to design new tools to measure these variables.