Frequent Active School Commuting Linked to Physical Activity in Saudi Adolescents

Researchers surveyed students at 40 public intermediate schools across five Saudi cities. Of 5,900 students enrolled in the study, 5,588 had complete data for the primary analysis. Students reported how often they walked or cycled to school during the previous seven days. The researchers used multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex and city, to examine whether commuting frequency was associated with meeting the study’s physical activity criterion: at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity on all seven days of the week.

Overall, 12.6% met that criterion. Compared with no active commuting, commuting actively on 5–7 days was associated with higher odds of meeting it (adjusted odds ratio 1.66, 95% CI 1.35–2.03; p<0.001). Commuting actively on 1–4 days was not associated with meeting the criterion. The association was significant among boys (adjusted odds ratio 1.90, 95% CI 1.54–2.35), but not girls (1.32, 95% CI 0.87–2.01); however, the formal test of interaction by sex did not reach statistical significance (p=0.068). Associations did not differ significantly by city.

The cross-sectional design cannot establish that active commuting increases physical activity. The study’s threshold—60 minutes on every day—is stricter than the WHO recommendation, which is an average of at least 60 minutes per day across the week. The findings support further prospective and intervention research, but do not establish the effects of promoting active commuting.