Abstract
Cycle skills training (CST) improves children's cycling knowledge and skills. This study examined and compared the effects of short-term CST (1–10 weeks) with or without on-road training on cycling-related knowledge, confidence and behaviours in adolescent girls.
Girls (n = 117; age: 13.9 ± 0.7 years) participated in either playground-based CST only (Traffic-Free CST; n = 43) or combined playground-based and on-road CST (Traffic-Free+OnRoad CST; n = 74). Participants completed pre-training and post-training surveys about cycling-related knowledge, confidence and behaviour, and practical cycling skills assessment (fundamental and advanced skills). Data were analysed using paired t-test and McNemar tests.
At baseline, few adolescents cycled > 1/week (11.1%) or to school (2.6%). Both types of CST improved adolescents’ knowledge (Traffic-Free: 82.9 ± 13.0% to 88.9 ± 9.5%, p = 0.001; Traffic-Free+OnRoad: 85.9 ± 8.8% to 93.6 ± 6.4%, p < 0.001). Traffic-free CST improved adolescents’ confidence to cycle in the parks/playgrounds (very confident: 41.9% to 60.5%; p = 0.034). Traffic-Free+OnRoad CST increased adolescents’ confidence to cycle on the road (very confident: 41.9% to 54.1%; p = 0.013), but not to school (very confident: 25.4% to 31.5%; p = 0.146). Cycling habits and preferences did not change significantly after CST (all p > 0.05). Traffic-Free+OnRoad CST participants were competent in most fundamental (97.8 ± 7.6%) and advanced practical cycling skills (97.6 ± 5.7%), whereas Traffic-Free CST participants had lower scores in fundamental skills (81.4 ± 29.2%; p < 0.001).
CST with or without on-road training improved cycling-related knowledge but did not change cycling habits in adolescent girls. CST with on-road training improved adolescent girls’ confidence to cycle on the road, but not to school. Future CST programs should be tailored to the adolescents’ needs and preferences.
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•Cycle skills training improved cycling-related knowledge in adolescent girls.•The on-road training improved confidence to cycle on the road but not to school.•The training did not change cycling habits in adolescent girls.•Future cycle skills training should be tailored to adolescents’ needs.•Additional interventions may be necessary to achieve behavioural change.