Tristram C (2026)
Publication Language: English
Publication Type: Thesis
Publication year: 2026
Publisher: FAU University Press
Physical activity (PA) is a key determinant of physical and mental health throughout the lifespan (Dhuli et al., 2022). Despite its well-established health benefits, including a reduced risk of chronic diseases and improved psychological well-being, global and national data indicate that especially children and adolescents fail to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations of PA (Finger et al., 2018; Guthold et al., 2020). At the same time, sedentary behaviours, particularly screen-based activities, have increased among young people and are associated with negative health outcomes (Bucksch et al., 2016). Given these trends, identifying opportunities to increase daily PA has become a priority in public health research (Dhuli et al., 2022). Active travel (AT), such as walking or cycling to various destinations, represents a promising strategy to increase daily PA, especially during adolescence (Loh et al., 2021). However, engaging in AT is not solely an individual choice but is influenced by environmental conditions (Renninger et al., 2022). In this context, perceived walkability and bikeability describe environmental characteristics that may facilitate or hinder active mobility and, therefore, impact PA levels (Hardinghaus, 2021; Tobin et al., 2022). To understand these characteristics, instruments are needed to measure them, especially for the assessment of the perception of walkability and bikeability. The present dissertation examines the role of the environment in shaping AT using adolescents as a case study. Thereby, a specific focus is placed on the social environment e.g., parents. Furthermore, walkability and bikeability are considered the key dimensions of AT. First, this dissertation investigates AT in adolescents and examines how parents and adolescents perceive their neighbourhood, for example the physical and social environment, and how these perceptions are associated with active commuting to school. By comparing parental and adolescents’ perspectives, Publication A highlights similarities and differences in the perception of the environment (Tristram, Marzi, et al., 2025). To gain deeper insights into the familial structures that lead to decisions about various transport modes, Publication B investigates the decision-making process within the family context that results in adolescents’ travel decisions. The publication demonstrates the importance of mothers and fathers in the familial decision-making process regarding adolescents’ transport mode choice, both for school travel and for leisure-time activities (Tristram et al., 2023). Because walkability and bikeability are the key dimensions of travel behaviour and perceptions of the characteristics of these constructs influence AT (De Vos et al., 2022; Reggiani et al., 2021), it is important to assess perceived walkability and bikeability. Publication C provides a systematic overview of survey instruments that can be used to assess perceived walkability and bikeability, and evaluates them according to established scientific criteria. Further, it presents gaps in current measurement methods and outlines the limited number of validated instruments for the assessment of perceived walkable and bikeable environments (Tristram, Till, et al., 2025). As the rapid review presented in Publication C indicates a limited number of instruments that can be used to assess perceived walkability and bikeability, especially for German-speaking contexts, Publication D offers the first validation of two newly developed instruments for assessing perceived walkability and bikeability (Tristram, Finger, et al., 2025). Publication A and B of the present dissertation resulted from the ARRIVE (Active tRavel behavioR in the famIly enVironmEnt) mixed-methods study, which was conducted between June and December 2021 and aimed to quantitatively assess the influence of several predictors of adolescent travel behaviour and qualitatively understand the associated decision-making process within the family (Reimers et al., 2022). Publication C and D resulted from the KAB-Mon project (Monitoring Physical Activity and Promoting Exercise – Developing Indicators for the Federal’ States Prevention Indicator System in Germany), which was conducted between May 2023 and April 2026 and aimed to develop four prevention indicators from the field of ‘Exercise and Physical Activity’ for the federal states’ prevention indicator system in Germany.
APA:
Tristram, C. (2026). The Role of the Environment in Shaping Active Travel (Dissertation).
MLA:
Tristram, Clara. The Role of the Environment in Shaping Active Travel. Dissertation, FAU University Press, 2026.
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