Reviews focused on AST/children and young people (n=23) 1Agyeman et al. (2023)³⁰
“(1) What are the implementation challenges associated with WSB [walking school buses] and BT [bicycle trains]?
(2) How can their conceptualization drive sustainable school transport outcomes? and
(3) What are the current methodological gaps, mathematical programming needs, and potential solution methods?” p2 Review focus:
AT intervention evaluations and non-intervention AT research
Population focus: Children/young people (school children)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 10
# total included studies: 49
Year of last search:
Not reported
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: Not assessedSynthesis type: Narrative/SWiM (Synthesis without meta-analysis)
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 2/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
2Audrey & Batista-Ferrer (2015)⁵⁰
“To examine evidence from intervention studies which involved changes to the urban environment and reported outcomes in relation to health-related behaviours, and the physical or mental health outcomes, of children and young people.” p98 Review focus:
AT and other interventions
Population focus: Children/young people (age range not reported)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 15
# total included studies: 33
Year of last search: 2014
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “all [of the active travel] studies were considered at serious risk of bias.” P113Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 5/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
3Carlin et al. (2016)⁵¹
“To evaluate the effects of interventions aimed at promoting levels of walking among children and adolescents on subsequent walking behaviours.” p517 Review focus:
AT and other interventions
Population focus: Children/young people (5-18 years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 7
# total included studies: 12
Year of last search: 2015
Evaluation designs: Controlled trials
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: Overall RoB not stated, but all relevant studies are High RoB in at least 1 domainSynthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 4/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
4Chanpariyavatevong et al. (2024)³¹
“To investigate interventions, including concepts and principles, to promote an active travel mode [for children and adolescents] suitable for Thailand’s context. This study is intended to guide the design of appropriate interventions to promote active travel mode [among children and adolescents] in different areas and built environments.” p2 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: Children/young people (under 18)
Disaggregated data for sub pops?: No# relevant evaluations: 16
# total included studies: 16
Year of last search: Not reported
Evaluation designs: Not reported
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: Not assessedSynthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type(s):
# criteria fulfilled: 2/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
5Chillon et al. (2011)⁵²
“To review intervention studies related to active school transportation … to highlight both the approaches that were most successful and issues that should be addressed in future research.” p1 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: Children/young people (6-18 years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 14
# total included studies: 14
Year of last search: 2010
Evaluation designs:
Any design
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “All studies were evaluated as weak in the global rating…” p8Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 4/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
6Cleland et al. (2023)²³
“To conduct an umbrella review to systematically collect and assess all reviews that undertook a systematic methodological approach to: identify intervention approaches that are effective for changing to travel behaviours less reliant on cars and to those which are considered to be more sustainable, by evaluating their impact primarily on change in mode of transport (e.g., levels of walking and cycling, travel by public transport and private motorised modes); and identify potentially effective intervention components and determine where these components are positioned by level of delivery (i.e., micro-, meso- and macro-level).” p3-4 Review focus:
AT and other interventions
Population focus: No specific population focus
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: Children/young people (school children)# relevant evaluations: 7
# total included studies: 18
Year of last search: 2022
Evaluation designs: Systematic reviews
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: Of the 7 relevant reviews 1 scored ‘critically low’ on AMSTAR and 6 were ‘moderate’ qualitySynthesis type: Umbrella review of reviews
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 5/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
7Fernandes et al. (2023)³⁶
“To summarize existing evidence from school-based intervention studies which involved changes to indoor and outdoor stressors related to the built and natural environment and reported outcomes on children’s health, health behaviors, and exposure levels“p2 Review focus:
AT and other interventions
Population focus: Children/young people (5-12 years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 12
# total included studies: 39
Year of last search: 2022
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “the quality score ranged from 2 to 8, with 6 of 12 studies scoring ≥ 6.” (≥ 9 considered high-quality)Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 6/6
Criteria not fulfilled: none8Herrero et al. (2021)⁵³
“To update the information on interventions whose aim is to encourage AC [active commuting] to school. A secondary objective is to identify the psychosocial benefits of the participants who changed their way of traveling through the intervention programs carried out.” p96 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: Children/young people (school age children)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 23
# total included studies: 23
Year of last search: 2018
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “a large presence of biases or lack of data in terms of the research design to assess the quality of some of the articles.” p101Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 3/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
9Jones et al. (2019)³⁴
“To systematically review the effectiveness of active travel interventions in primary school children." p233 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: Children/young people (4-11 years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 17
# total included studies: 17
Year of last search: 2018
Evaluation designs: Controlled trials
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: All studies were assessed as having a weak global quality ratingSynthesis type: Meta-analysis
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 5/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
10Lam et al. (2023)³⁵
“To provide an overview of the current evidence in ASC [active school commuting].” p2 Review focus:
AT interventions and non-intervention AT research
Population focus: Children/young people (6-12 years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: Not reported
# total included studies: 158
Year of last search: 2023
Evaluation designs:
Not reported
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: Not assessedSynthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 0/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
11Larouche et al. (2014)⁵⁴
“1) To update current knowledge on the association between AST [active school travel] and daily PA [physical activity] level; 2) To examine the association between AST, cardiovascular fitness and various indicators of body composition (BMI, waist circumference, skinfolds, etc.); and 3) To systematically assess the quality of evidence with respect to the relationship between AST and daily PA, cardiovascular fitness, and body composition.” Review focus:
AT interventions and non-intervention AT research
Population focus: Children/young people (5.0 to 17.9 years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 4
# total included studies: 68
Year of last search: 2011
Evaluation designs: Controlled trials
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “Three of the four intervention studies were rated as moderate…. [one] randomized controlled trial was rated as strong.”Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 4/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
12Larouche et al. (2018)⁵⁵
“[To update Chillon et al. 2011 to explore] the effectiveness of active school travel (AST) interventions in children and youth [and] to review the literature on the moderators and mediators of AST interventions.” p2Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: Children/young people (6-18 years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 27 (30 interventions)
# total included studies: 27
Year of last search: 2016
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “Study quality was rated as weak for 27/30 interventions”Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 5/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
13Marzi et al. (2020)²⁷
“To evaluate the effects of interventions that promote AC [active commuting] in children and adolescents by systematically taking aspects of sex/gender into account” p2 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: Children/young people (3-19 years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: Sex/gender# relevant evaluations: 12
# total included studies: 12
Year of last search: 2018
Evaluation designs: Randomized controlled trials
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “Eleven included studies were judged to be at a high risk of bias in at least one domain. Risk of bias in primary studies shows a heterogeneous picture.” p5Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 5/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
14McDonald et al. (2018)³²
“To summarize and evaluate the impact of PA [physical activity] interventions that were implemented in specific school settings on children’s PA in those settings.” p52 Review focus:
AT and other interventions
Population focus: Children/young people (3-18 years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 7
# total included studies: 32
Year of last search:
Not reported
Evaluation designs: Controlled trials
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “Two of the 3 RCT studies were considered high quality, and all 4 quasi-experimental studies were of low quality.” p54”Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 3/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
15Medeiros et al. (2021)²⁸
“To identify] how equity is considered in studies of AST interventions around the world.” p3 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: Children/young people (5-19 years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: Gender, SES, ethnic background# relevant evaluations: Unclear
# total included studies: 69 studies (64 interventions)
Year of last search: 2019
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “14 (20%) studies were rated as good and having a low risk of bias, 51 (74%) were fair and may be susceptible to some bias, and 4 (6%) were poor and were interpreted with caution.” p10Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 4/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
16NICE (2008)²⁹
“To assess active travel interventions that do not involve a permanent change to the environment but are effective in increasing total physical activity in children and young people under the age of 18” p3 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: Children/young people (aged 18 or under)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: Gender [no studies reported by gender]# relevant evaluations: 17
# total included studies: 17
Year of last search: 2007
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “One ++ study was found [most quality criteria fulfilled]. Fifteen studies were categorised as + [some criterial fulfilled] with the remaining 1 as – [few criteria fulfilled].” p23Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 4/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
17Ogilvie et al. (2007)²⁴
“To determine what characterises interventions effective in promoting walking; who walks more and by how much as a result of effective interventions; and the effects of such interventions on overall physical activity and health.” p1 Review focus:
AT and non-AT interventions
Population focus: No – general population
Disaggregated data for sub populations?:
Yes: Children/young people (school children)# relevant evaluations: 3
# total included studies: 48
Year of last search:
Not reported
Evaluation designs: Controlled trials
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: Of the relevant trials (n=3) two met 4/7 criteria and one met 2/7 criteria.Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 4/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
18Pang et al. (2017)⁵⁶
“First, we aim to conduct a systematic literature review and analysis of AST interventions published between 2010 and 2016. Second, we compare the results of our review with Chillon et al.¹⁰ to assess whether significant differences in theory use, measurement and design are evident between time periods. Third, we assess the extent of theory use for AST interventions reporting theory." p1 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: Children/young people (school children)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 18
# total included studies: 18
Year of last search: 2016
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “Fourteen studies were assessed as weak in the global rating. None were assessed as strong. … four studies … evaluated as moderate.” p5Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 3/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
19Roaf et al. (2024)²⁵
“To provide a summary of findings from recent studies of a range of interventions aimed at increasing active travel. By including a broad range of types of intervention, we aim to provide guidance on the relative impact of these.” p94 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: No – general population
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: Children/young people (age range not specified)# relevant evaluations: 9
# total included studies: 68
Year of last search: 2023
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: 2 high RoB, 6 medium RoB, 1 Low RoBSynthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 5/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
20Schonbach et al. (2020)⁵⁷
“To summarize the evidence on strategies and effects of (randomized) controlled interventions that promote cycling to school as a mode of AST [active school travel] among primary and/or secondary school students.” p2 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: Children/young people (up to 17 years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 9
# total included studies: 9
Year of last search: 2019
Evaluation designs:
Controlled trials
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “All included studies were assessed as weak in the global rating” p5Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 5/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
21Sersli et al. (2019)²⁶
“To identify and describe evidence on changes in bicycling frequency associated with bicycle skills training interventions.” p171 Review focus:
AT and non-AT interventions.
Population focus: Adults and children
Disaggregated data for sub populations?:
Age (children up to 16 years)
Gender (children)# relevant evaluations: 6
# total included studies: 12
Year of last search: 2017
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: Not assessedSynthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 3/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
22Smith et al. (2015)³³
“To review the evidence base around WSBs [walking school buses], and in particular to examine whether there is any robust evidence of WSBs for children’s fitness-related health or related factors.” p198 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: Children/young people (school children)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 6
# total included studies: 12
Year of last search:
Not reported
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: not assessedSynthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 2/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
23Villa-González et al. (2018)⁵⁸
“[To update Chillon et al. 2011], following the same methodology and addressing the quality and effectiveness of new studies [of active school travel interventions].” p116 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: Children/young people (5-18 years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 23
# total included studies: 23
Year of last search: 2016
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “most studies (21/23) were rated as weak … two studies were assessed as moderate”Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 4/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
Non-AST-focused reviews (focused on populations other than children and young people) (n=4) 1Hansmann et al. (2022)¹³
“To synthesize knowledge of the health equity impacts of active transportation interventions across different population groups based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.” p2 Review focus:
AT interventions only
Population focus: No – general population
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status# relevant evaluations: 10
# total included studies: 10
Year of last search: 2020
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: Not assessedSynthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 3/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
2Smith et al. (2017)¹⁴
“To: (1) identify which environmental interventions increase physical activity in residents at the local level […]; and (2) to […] systematically explore the effectiveness of these interventions by ethnicity and SES [socio-economic status].” p3 Review focus:
AT and non-AT interventions
Population focus: No
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: Ethnicity/SES# relevant evaluations: 5 (ethnicity/SES n = 2; children = 3)
# total included studies: 28
Year of last search: 2015
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “Only one study was rated as strong […]and a majority (75%) were rated as weak”Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 5/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
3Tcymbal et al. (2020)³⁷
“To identify built environmental determinants of PA [physical activity] by taking sex/gender into account.” p2 Review focus:
AT and non-AT interventions
Population focus: No
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: Males/females# relevant evaluations: Unclear
# total included studies: 36
Year of last search: 2020
Evaluation designs: Uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: “The average quality score of included studies was 0.83 with a range between 0.6 and 0.96.” (closer to 1 shows higher quality)”Synthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 5/6
Criteria not fulfilled:
4Voorheis et al. (2023)³⁸
“To map the current evidence on the behavioural determinants found to impact older adult active travel behaviour, and align these with relevant behaviour change intervention strategies” p3Review focus:
AT interventions and non-intervention AT research
Population focus: Older adults (50+ years)
Disaggregated data for sub populations?: No# relevant evaluations: 10
# total included studies: 102
Year of last search: 2021
Evaluation designs: Controlled and uncontrolled designs
Included studies’ quality/risk of bias: Not assessedSynthesis type: Narrative/SWiM
Synthetic finding type:
# criteria fulfilled: 3/6
Criteria not fulfilled: