Going Places: A Multi-level Intervention to Improve Youth Transportation Efficacy and Physical Activity

Going Places is a multilevel transportation self-efficacy intervention designed to increase physical activity (PA) among under resourced youth and improve their cardiometabolic health. Going Places is informed by the Socioecological Framework and Bandura's Self-efficacy Theory and includes the following components: weekly workshops on navigating transportation systems (individual level), community field trips and participatory mapping activities (recreation center level), and local transportation advocacy (environment level). Going Places was codeveloped under the joint leadership of Duke University and Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR; Durham, NC). Going Places is offered to individual youth as part of DPR's no-cost adolescent afterschool program for youths aged 13 to 19 years. Going Places provides weekly workshops co-led by Duke and DPR that aimed to promote transportation self-efficacy (e.g., how to use local transportation systems, including biking and walking path trail maps, acquiring a free bus pass, using the bus and rail system, pedestrian and biking safety). Workshops also include engaging in active games and recreation. Monthly field trips organized with the recreation center provide opportunities for youth to navigate transportation systems and engage in PA, primarily in outdoor settings. Youth also participate in a series of participatory mapping exercises to identify safe routes to reach neighborhood sites for active recreation. The intervention's environmental components focus on promoting access to transportation and PA for youths. The Going Places study team, youth participants, and the program's Steering Committee collaborate with local organizations that oversee recreation and transportation programs and policy in Durham. These organizations are involved in ongoing advocacy to promote safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation and recreation, including park renovation and restoration projects, public mural contests, and social activism (web; social media).