Introduction: Active commuting to school could help increasing physical activity levels among adolescents. However, there is limited understanding on how the relationship between the environment in school surroundings, as well the distance to school, could affect this behavior.
Aim: To analyze the characteristics of the environment and distance between house and school with objective measures and their association with active commuting between adolescents of Curitiba, Brazil.
Methods: 493 adolescents were interviewed and 124 schools evaluated. The study variables included the schools' surroundings accessibility characteristics obtained through systematic observation, and the distance between home to school was determined through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data.
Results: The presence of "safety signs" was inversely associated with active commuting (PR = 0.78; 95%CI 0.67-0.91; p = 0.003), as well distance 1,501-3,000 m (PR = 0.53; 95%CI 0.40 - 0.71; p < 0.001) and ≥ 3,501 m (PR 0.29; 95%CI 0.18 - 0.45; p < 0.001). Overall, schools' surroundings showed walking friendly characteristics.
Conclusion: Traffic safety and distance to school were associated with active commuting to school among the study participants. Policies aiming at integrating access to school and traffic safety could help to promoting active commuting among adolescents.