An Application of the Health Belief Model to Evaluate Parents'' Willingness to Participate in Elementary Schools’ Walking to School Policy in Tainan City, Taiwan

• Main Authors: Ying-fang Chang, 張盈芳
• Other Authors: none
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/8r68tw

碩士 === 國立臺南大學 === 生態旅遊研究所碩士班 === 98 === The purpose of this study is to understand parents’ attitude towards “walking to school” policy and, adopting the Health Belief Model in this study, to evaluate the key related factors for parents’ willingness to cooperate with this policy. The elements of this study are divided into three major categories: commuting situations, the health belief model of walking to school, and the related measures. The study is proceeded primarily by questionnaire, which investigated the parents of Tainan City elementary students, dated from May 4 to May 22, 2010. A total of 1,111 questionnaires were issued, of which 1,082 were replied (The return ratio is 92%). After the removal of invalid questionnaires, only 971 questionnaires were valid (The actual questionnaire ration is 87.4%). Investigation results indicate: 1. The main means of transportation to and from elementary schools in Tainan City is by motor vehicles, with motorcycle being the priority means (70.2%), followed by cars (28.6%). 2. Major aspects in the parental belief model are: “environmental threats” influencing the use of sending children to and from school by motorcycle and car. Walking to school helps “the development of friendly behavior environment” and “personal safety” being an obstacle in walking to school. 3. Parents living within the school area or home within 500 meters of schools are the most willing to cooperate with this policy (68.8% and 85.6%, respectively). 4. Parents willing to participate in walking to school have higher levels of belief in “the perceived benefits in walking to school,” but lower in the “perceived barriers in walking to school.” 5. A positive relationship exists between parents who possess “the perceived benefits in walking to school,” “long-term threat of using motorcycles and cars” as well previous exposure of “cues of action.” 6. Parents who belong to “high benefit, low barrier” and “moderate benefit, low barrier” belief models are most willing to “volunteer and control traffic work along routes for walking to school.” On the other hand, parents associated with “moderate benefit, high barrier,” “low benefit, low barrier,” and “low benefit, high barrier” belief models are most willing to “send children to control points, then walk a short distance to school.” 7. Parents who agree to walk to school can “develop a friendly behavior environment,” and are therefore more willing they are in participating in various measures. 8. Parents agree more with “the perceived benefits in walking to school” and “the perceived benefits in walking to school”; while those who agree less with “the perceived benefits in walking to school” will be more likely take part in waling to school. Based on the conclusion made above, when promoting plans for walking to school, authorities are recommended to first satisfactorily plan and manage the traffic and the safety issue within the proximity of schools; the reporting and promoting of walking to school policy should also be stepped up as well, in order to enhance the willingness of walking to school.