Public health impact: Potenziale einer Schulintervention zur Förderung des Radfahrens bei Kindern und Jugendlichen (bikepool)

Bikepool: Evaluation of a school intervention to promote cycling among children and adolescents 

Physical activity maintains health and can even positively influence cognitive performance and academic achievement. Cycling is an important component of an active lifestyle. At the same time, studies have shown that an average of 14.3% of primary school children have significant motor weaknesses. As a unifying place for children and adolescents from all social backgrounds, schools play a central role in health promotion and prevention. 

The non-profit organisation ‘bikepool Hessen e. V.’ is dedicated to the implementation of cycling programmes in schools and trains teachers and educational staff for this purpose. AOK Hessen supports/funds these trainings, which include safe cycling practices and basic repair skills, and provides schools with bicycles. Currently, there are approximately 180 bike schools in Hesse. 

As the organisation and the initiative for the cycling lessons emerged from practical experience, the activities have not yet been scientifically monitored. The Department of Sport Science and Sport has now been commissioned to carry out a comprehensive evaluation, which will analyse the following topics: 

Effects:  

• At how many schools is the continuation successful, and what factors contribute to this? 

• Which long-term effects does the training have on the adolescents/teachers (e.g. cycling)? 

Optimisation:  

• Is there potential for optimisation (e.g. teacher training)?  

• Can the positive effects be strengthened and the potential negative effects mitigated? 

Growth:  

• What opportunities and possibilities for further growth exist (e.g. more schools, more grades, inclusion)? 

• What structures are needed for this?