Peer-reviewed article
Children’s Life Satisfaction and Satisfaction with School Travel
Margareta Friman, Jessica Westman, Lars E. Olsson ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how children's satisfaction with their journey to school relates to their overall life satisfaction. Researchers developed and tested a scale to measure children's travel experiences, finding that children who were more satisfied with how they got to school also reported higher life satisfaction across multiple areas including friendships, family, and school experiences. The relationship was stronger for children who walked or cycled to school than those who traveled by bus or car, and younger children and boys reported being more satisfied with their school travel overall.
Key points
- The Satisfaction with Travel Scale for Children (STS-C) is internally reliable and has sound construct validity with three subscales measuring different travel experience aspects
- Children's satisfaction with school travel is significantly related to their overall life satisfaction including satisfaction with themselves, school, friendships, family, and living environment
- The relationship between travel satisfaction and life satisfaction is stronger for children using active travel modes (walking, cycling) compared to motorized transport (school bus or car)
- Younger children and boys reported higher satisfaction with their school travel
- Travel satisfaction had an indirect effect on children's overall life satisfaction through these related domains
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional and cannot establish causation—it is unclear whether satisfying travel experiences increase life satisfaction or whether satisfied children perceive their travel more positively. The study does not explain why active travel modes produce stronger relationships with life satisfaction or explore underlying mechanisms.
Abstract
To understand children’s experiences of their daily travel, and the consequences of these experiences, it is essential that we directly address children. The Satisfaction with Travel Scale (STS) is a self-report instrument consisting of nine items divided into three subscales – two reflecting affective travel experiences and one reflecting cognitive travel experiences. The present study has two aims: (i) to examine the psychometric properties of a child version of the STS (referred to as the STS-C), and (ii) to test a potentially positive relationship between travel satisfaction and life satisfaction among children, something which has been found among adults. Three hundred and forty-five children completed the STS-C, life satisfaction scales, and sociodemographic variables. Analyses using Partial Least Square structural equation modelling revealed that the STS-C was internally reliable, had a sound construct validity, and confirmed a one-factor second-order measurement model with three first-order constructs (subscales). Furthermore, children’s satisfaction with school travel was also significantly related to their life satisfaction as measured by their satisfaction with: themselves, school experiences, friendships, family, and living environment. The relationship between travel satisfaction and life satisfaction varied between modes, whereby it was stronger among those who traveled by active modes than those who traveled by school bus or car. Younger children and boys were more satisfied with their travel to school, something which also had an indirect effect on their life satisfaction.