Children’s Active Mobility to School: Evidence from Two Andean Cities

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This is a well done study about active travel to school in six public schools in two small/mid-sized cities in Ecuador. The literature review is well done, the data and methods clearly described, the results are presented logically, and the discussion is sound. I have some smaller ideas for improvement:

I think some graphs could be decluttered and made more accessible. The authors should look at all graphs. In particular, I found graphs 9 to 11 inaccessible or confusing.

I was wondering if it would be possible to estimate logistic regressions with active travel yes/no as dependent variable to identify how the various factors play together? This is not a requirement, just an idea.

Author Response

This is a well done study about active travel to school in six public schools in two small/mid-sized cities in Ecuador. The literature review is well done, the data and methods clearly described, the results are presented logically, and the discussion is sound. I have some smaller ideas for improvement:

I think some graphs could be decluttered and made more accessible. The authors should look at all graphs. In particular, I found graphs 9 to 11 inaccessible or confusing.

We are thankful for the suggestion and improved most of the graphs.
Mosaic plots have been proven useful visual devices for exploring and explaining the association between categorical variables, taking into account the relative sizes of each cell in contingency tables. We provided a better explanation of mosaic plots and a brief guide for interpretation.

 

 

I was wondering if it would be possible to estimate logistic regressions with active travel yes/no as dependent variable to identify how the various factors play together? This is not a requirement, just an idea.

We appreciate the idea, and we are including it in the recommendations for future research

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This study investigates the influencing factors on active mobility to school (AMS) among 10-12-year-old children in Ecuadorian cities. Utilizing the social ecological model framework, the research offers valuable insights into the factors affecting children's AMS at both micro and meso levels, considering multiple dimensions such as gender, travel time, family influence, age, and socio-economic characteristics. The study's insights are unique, demonstrating a degree of innovation, with substantial work and widely representative data sources. However, several recommendations are provided:

1.The innovative use of the Google Places API to calculate land use density and diversity is commendable. Still, further refinement of this method is suggested in future research, incorporating more diverse urban form and population density variables to explain variations in different study outcomes.

2.While the paper confirms that boys are more likely than girls to adopt active transportation modes to school, the deep-seated reasons behind this gender difference are not thoroughly explored. The paper lacks detailed discussions on theoretical explanations and analyses of social-cultural contexts.

3.The paper mentions no significant association between disabilities and travel modes. However, considering the various types of disabilities in the sample, the study does not delve into exploring the specific impact of each disability on children's travel choices, and this gap needs further investigation.

4.The study observes the impact of urban environments on AMS, but the non-linear relationship between land use density and AMS at the meso level lacks a comprehensive explanation. Additionally, the paper does not thoroughly explore the mechanisms of other potential urban environmental factors (such as population density) that may influence AMS.

5.While the paper indicates that family ownership of motor vehicles and lower parental education are related to a decreased probability of children walking to school, important factors like family income,

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English expression in this paper is clear and fluent, with accurate grammar and appropriate use of professional terminology.

Author Response

This study investigates the influencing factors on active mobility to school (AMS) among 10-12-year-old children in Ecuadorian cities. Utilizing the social ecological model framework, the research offers valuable insights into the factors affecting children's AMS at both micro and meso levels, considering multiple dimensions such as gender, travel time, family influence, age, and socio-economic characteristics. The study's insights are unique, demonstrating a degree of innovation, with substantial work and widely representative data sources. However, several recommendations are provided:

1.The innovative use of the Google Places API to calculate land use density and diversity is commendable. Still, further refinement of this method is suggested in future research, incorporating more diverse urban form and population density variables to explain variations in different study outcomes.

We agree with this reviewer’s recommendation and we are exploring new ways to improve and validate the method. We mentioned this suggestion in future research in the new version.

 

2.While the paper confirms that boys are more likely than girls to adopt active transportation modes to school, the deep-seated reasons behind this gender difference are not thoroughly explored. The paper lacks detailed discussions on theoretical explanations and analyses of social-cultural contexts.

We expanded the discussion on gender differences and contextualised it with existing literature.

 

3.The paper mentions no significant association between disabilities and travel modes. However, considering the various types of disabilities in the sample, the study does not delve into exploring the specific impact of each disability on children's travel choices, and this gap needs further investigation.

We recognise this limitation and include it in the conclusions and propose steps for future research.

 

4.The study observes the impact of urban environments on AMS, but the non-linear relationship between land use density and AMS at the meso level lacks a comprehensive explanation. Additionally, the paper does not thoroughly explore the mechanisms of other potential urban environmental factors (such as population density) that may influence AMS.

We improved the discussion of the (lack of) relationship between urban density (land use, and population) and active mobility in the context of the established theory and previous findings in Latin American cities. We included relevant references for studies in Latin America and elsewhere that found positive, negative and no association between urban density and active mobility. We also highlighted some limitations in the study that might affect the results

 

5.While the paper indicates that family ownership of motor vehicles and lower parental education are related to a decreased probability of children walking to school, important factors like family income,

The reviewer's comment is incomplete, but we assume that it meant that household income is not explored or discussed. This factor was actually included in the analysis, but we found no association. We improved the discussion about this and better explained our interpretation.