Active commuting to and from school among Spanish adolescents: social inequalities and environmental characteristics

This study examined how socioeconomic status (SES) and parental migration background are associated with two outcomes of active commuting to and from school (ACS): usual travel mode and weekly active trips. It also explored whether home-neighbourhood environmental characteristics help explain these social patterns. We used cross-sectional survey and geospatial data for 366 urban adolescents in Spain. Multilevel regression models examined associations sequentially, first adjusting for sociodemographic variables, then for environmental factors. Adolescents from more disadvantaged backgrounds were more likely to engage in ACS, with inequalities more pronounced for trips from school. Higher SES was associated with lower odds of using active modes to school (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55–0.93) and from school (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.54–0.92), and with fewer weekly active trips to school (IRR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.82–1.00) and from school (IRR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83–0.99) in the sociodemographic models. Having no parental migration background was associated with lower odds of using active modes from school (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.21–1.00). These associations were attenuated and no longer statistically significant after adjustment for environmental characteristics, with home–school distance emerging as the strongest predictor. These findings suggest that ACS may represent an important opportunity to help reduce broader physical activity disparities, and that environmental characteristics, particularly home–school distance, may help explain observed inequalities. Policy efforts should prioritise support for adolescents who already rely on ACS, particularly on trips from school, by ensuring proximity, walkable environments, and integrated infrastructure and education initiatives.