Active commuting to school: A test of a modified integrative model

Objective: To test a modified integrative model (IM) in explaining parents' intention toward active commuting to school (ACS) and children's ACS. Methods: Parents of fourth graders (N = 857) completed a survey assessing factors associated with ACS. A modified IM was developed and tested using structural equation modeling. Results: The IM demonstrated good model fit (RMSEA = .04, CFI = .97, TLI = .97). Perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and health beliefs/outcome evaluation predicted parents' intention directly and children's ACS indirectly, with self-efficacy as the strongest predictor. Intention, in turn, predicted children's ACS. Similar findings emerged in a replication using the urban subsample data. Conclusions: The IM may enable health behavior researchers to design effective interventions to promote ACS.