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New Zealand parents' understandings of the intergenerational decline in children's independent outdoor play and active travel |
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| Authors: | Karen Witten Robin Kearns Penelope Carroll Lanuola Asiasiga Nicola Tava'e |
| Institution: | 1. Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation, SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, School of Public Health , Massey University , Auckland , New Zealand k.witten@massey.ac.nz;3. School of Environment , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand;4. Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation, SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, School of Public Health , Massey University , Auckland , New Zealand |
| Abstract: | Children's independent mobility and physical activity levels are declining in Western countries. In the past 20 years New Zealand children's active travel (walking and cycling) has dropped on average from 130 to 72 minutes per week, and those travelling by car to school have increased from 31% to 58%. This paper describes parents' understandings of why 9–11-year-old primary school children in suburban Auckland are less likely to walk to school and play unsupervised outdoors than they were as children. Data gathered in focus groups show understandings range from proximate neighbourhood explanations to downstream impacts of a neoliberal policy context. |
| Keywords: | children independent mobility neighbourhood parenting practices New Zealand |