On the way to and from school (OWS)

Active mobility interventions for the promotion of physical activity and mental well-being in adolescents in Bogotá, Colombia and Maputo, Mozambique.

WHAT OWS IS

ABOUT THE PROJECT

“On the Way to School” (OWS) is a three-year implementation research study to assess the impact of active mobility policies on adolescents’ health. OWS focuses on interventions that promote walking and cycling regularly to and from school (Active Mobility To School Interventions - AMTS), evaluating their effectiveness in reducing the risks of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), promoting healthy lifestyle practices, and improving the mental well-being of adolescents aged 8 to 16.

GACD and the UK Medical Research Council fund OWS. The project is led by Dr. Daniel Oviedo, The BartlettDevelopment Planning Unit at UCL and includes collaborators across 10 international institutions.

The challenge

The SDG recognise physical activity and mental well-being as essential aspects of sustainable development. However, the challenge differs for all ages and is unique in each urban context. Rates of physical activity decline through adolescence, and in middle- and low-income countries, adolescents face more barriers in urban environments.

The approach

OWS will explore the links between active mobility and healthy lifestyle practices, as well as their effect on the well-being of underserved adolescent communities. This exploration will adopt transdisciplinary, intersectional and distributional perspectives with a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusive stakeholder participation.

WHAT WE WANT

OBJECTIVES

01
Unpacking AMTS

To understand the appropriateness and acceptability of existing AMTS interventions and enhance their health service delivery.

02
Assessing AMTS

To measure the effect of cycling and walking on enhancing healthy lifestyle practices and mental well-being and reducing common NCD risk factors in secondary-school adolescents.

03
Piloting AMTS

To identify the challenges and potentials of adapting ATMS interventions and assess their feasibility for implementation in a different urban context.

04
Capacity building

To strengthen and build research capacity across different socio-spatial and health environments to implement, monitor and evaluate ATMS interventions.

WHO WE ARE

TEAM

OWS is an inclusive, global, transdisciplinary research that draws on academics from diverse disciplinary backgrounds: medicine, engineering, and social sciences, mainly linked with development, mobility and the built environment.

LEAD
RESEARCHERS

MEMBERS

ASSOCIATE
RESEARCHERS

MEMBERS

BOARDS
 

MEMBERS

WHERE WE STUDY

CASE STUDIES

By working with two contrasting case studies: Bogotá in Latin America and Maputo in Africa, OWS seeks to shed light on the complexities and opportunities around the implementation, adaptation, and scalability of active mobility interventions and the applicability of such interventions in different social, cultural, economic, and governance contexts.

HOW WE DO IT

WORK PACKAGES

The objective of OWS is to produce research outputs focused on active mobility to and from school (ATMS), aiming to promote healthy lifestyle practices and enhance mental well-being. This goal will be achieved through the implementation of 4 Work Packages.

WP1
Unpacking existing AMTS interventions
WP2
Assessing health and equity impacts of AMTS interventions
WP3
Piloting AMTS interventions
WP4
Building equitable collaborations

KEEP IN TOUCH

NEWS

STAY INFORMED AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Sign up for our "On The Way to School" Newsletter today!

Or if you prefer...

WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE

PARTNERS