Parental perceptions of cycle skills training for adolescents

- Parents perceived cycle skills training would make adolescents safer in traffic.
- Parental perceptions of cycling to school as important and unsafe were essential.
- Having fewer vehicles at home was also associated with favourable perceptions.
- Parents thought adolescents would benefit from such training at their school.
- Interventions should capitalize on parental interest in cycle skills training.

ObjectiveTraffic safety is a key concern regarding cycling for transportation. Parental perceptions of adolescents' cycle skills may influence the uptake of cycling for transportation among adolescents. This study examined parental perceptions of cycle skills training (CST) for New Zealand adolescents where rates of adolescents' cycling for transportation are low.MethodsParents (n=310; age: 47.7±5.3 years; 77.7% females) of adolescents (age: 15.1±1.6 years; 51.0% females) from Dunedin (New Zealand) completed a survey about travel to school habits and parental perceptions of cycling to school, their adolescent's cycling skills, and CST (perceived benefits and provision of CST at school). Data were analysed using linear mixed models.ResultsMore than half of parents perceived that their adolescents had very good or excellent cycling skills (57.8%). Overall, 73.2% of parents believed their adolescents would benefit from CST and of those parents 74.5% believed their adolescents would take CST at school. In a multivariate analysis, parental perceptions that cycling to school is important and unsafe, and having fewer vehicles at home were positively associated with parental perceptions that CST would make adolescents safer in traffic (all p<.05).ConclusionsNearly three-quarters of parents perceived that their adolescents would benefit from participation in CST. Parental perceptions that cycling to school is important and unsafe, and having fewer vehicles at home were associated with favourable parental perceptions of CST for adolescents. Future interventions should also involve parents and consider offering CST in secondary schools as a part of the efforts to promote active transport to school.