Changes in Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectations From Child Participation in Bicycle Trains for Commuting to and From School.

backgroundActive commuting to school (ACS) is associated with increased physical activity and lowered risk of obesity. In observational studies, ACS was associated with child self-efficacy, parent self-efficacy, and parent outcome expectations, although few experiments have assessed changes in these behavioral constructs.

aimThis study examined the effects of a bicycle train intervention (BTI) on child self-efficacy, parent self-efficacy, and parent outcome expectations in a diverse, low socioeconomic status population.

methodData were from a 2014 BTI pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) on fourth to fifth graders aged 9 to 12 years, n = 54, from four schools serving low-income populations in Seattle, Washington. The BTI was a group of children and study staff who cycled together to/from school daily, while controls received no intervention. Responses to validated child self-efficacy, parent self-efficacy, and parent outcome expectations questionnaires ranged from 1 to 3. Adjusted linear mixed effects models estimated standardized coefficients for child self-efficacy, parent self-efficacy, and parent outcome expectations comparing intervention and controls from Time 1 (preintervention) to Time 2 (final 4-6 weeks of intervention).

resultsThe intervention group had increases in child self-efficacy of 0.84 standard deviations (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.37, 1.31]), parent self-efficacy of 0.46 standard deviations (95% CI [0.05, 0.86]), and parent outcome expectations of 0.47 standard deviations (95% CI [0.17, 0.76]) compared with controls from Times 1 to 2 (all ps <.05).

conclusionA BTI improved child self-efficacy, parent self-efficacy, and parent outcome expectations, which warrants a larger RCT to examine long-term changes to these behavioral constructs and ACS.