Commonly employed behaviour change techniques within successful interventions included goals and planning , feedback and monitoring , social support and repetition and substitution .
Conclusions Walking interventions , particularly those conducted in the school environment , have the potential to increase PA in children and adolescents .
Conclusions on which interventions most effectively increased walking behaviours in this population were hindered by the limited number of identified interventions and the short duration of interventions evaluated .
Background  Physical activity ( PA ) levels decline as children move into adolescence , with this decline more notable in girls .
As a consequence , many young people are failing to meet current PA guidelines .
Walking has been a cornerstone of PA promotion in adults and may provide an effective means of increasing PA levels among younger people .
Objective Our objective was to conduct a systematic review of interventions aim ed at promoting increased levels of walking  among children and adolescents .
Longitudinal Changes in Active Transportation to School in Canadian Youth Aged 6 Through 16 Years
BACKGROUND : Concern has been raised regarding the increased prevalence of physical inactivity among children .  Active transportation , such as walking and cycling to school , is an opportunity for children to be physically active . OBJECTIVE : To identify the sociodemographic predictors of  active transportation to schools across time among school-aged children participating in the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth ( NLSCY ) . METHODS : The sample included 7690 school-aged children attending public schools who were drawn from cycle 2 ( 1996 and 1997 ) of the Canadian NLSCY . Data were collected through interviews with the person most knowledgeable about the child . Parents were asked how their child usually gets to school . Responses were dichotomized into active ( walking or bicycling ) or inactive ( school bus , public transit , is driven , or multiple ) modes . Using 3 waves of data from the Canadian NLSCY ( 1996–2001 ) , we estimated the effect of sociodemographic factors on the likelihood  of active transportation to school across time using r and om-effects models . RESULTS : Longitudinal analyses indicated that as children aged , the likelihood of using active transportation to school increased , peaked at the age of 10 years , and then decreased . Urban setting s ( odds ratio [ OR ] : 3.66 [ 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) : 3.23–4.15 ] ) , households with inadequate income ( OR : 1.21 [ 95 % CI : 1.06–1.38 ] ) , living with 1 parent ( OR : 1.46 [ 95 % CI : 1.29–1.65 ] ) , and having an older sibling living at home ( OR : 1.14 [ 95 % CI : 1.04–1.25 ] ) were significant predictors of  active transportation to school at baseline and carried through across time . CONCLUSIONS : Underst and ing the factors that influence  active transportation  may support its adoption by children , which in turn may contribute to meeting physical activity guidelines
Commonly employed behaviour change techniques within successful interventions included goals and planning , feedback and monitoring , social support and repetition and substitution .
Conclusions Walking interventions , particularly those conducted in the school environment , have the potential to increase PA in children and adolescents .
Conclusions on which interventions most effectively increased walking behaviours in this population were hindered by the limited number of identified interventions and the short duration of interventions evaluated .
Background  Physical activity ( PA ) levels decline as children move into adolescence , with this decline more notable in girls .
As a consequence , many young people are failing to meet current PA guidelines .
Walking has been a cornerstone of PA promotion in adults and may provide an effective means of increasing PA levels among younger people .
Objective Our objective was to conduct a systematic review of interventions aim ed at promoting increased levels of walking  among children and adolescents .