Learning from each other: wellbeing interventions in Colombia
We’re exploring how active interventions can impact physical and mental health in different communities across the world.
What is On the Way to School?
In May I visited Bogotá, Colombia, to participate in a dialogue week for the On the Way to School project.
'On the Way to School' looks at interventions that aim to promote physical activity and mental wellbeing in adolescents in Bogotá, Colombia, and Maputo, Mozambique. The project is led by UCL’s Development Planning Unit and supported by the Evidence Based Practice Unit, a collaboration between UCL and Anna Freud.
In Bogotá, the project centres on two programmes: ‘Ciempiés’ (group walking) and ‘Al Colegio en Bici’ (group cycling), both supervised by adult monitors. The project aims to get more children to walk and cycle to school and explore the benefits of and barriers to this. Anna Freud has been commissioned to support as an evaluation team to review the outcomes of the project.
Dialogue week: an opportunity for learning
Dialogue week was an opportunity for international collaborators to discuss the implementation and evaluation of walking and cycling interventions to and from school in the two cities. The evaluation focuses on the impact of these interventions on both physical and mental health.
Being on the ground and joining these walking and cycling routes highlighted the multiple ways in which the programme positively affects the mental wellbeing of the young people involved.
Building relationships: students develop connections with peers from their own class and other classes, as well as with adult monitors. One school reported reduced bullying since implementing the Ciempiés walking programme.
Physical activity benefits: children become more physically active by walking or cycling to school instead of using motor vehicles. Research shows that school-related physical activity interventions enhance positive mental health in children and adolescents [1].
Fun and learning: the monitors make the process enjoyable by playing games and interacting with the young people during the journey. Even though some of the routes took 30–40 minutes, the group’s energy and enthusiasm make time fly by. These educational games also encourage the young people to learn more about their city and surroundings, making them feel more connected to the environment they live in.
Safety: reliable routes and avoidance of narrow or unsuitable pavements provide peace of mind for students and their families. The adult monitors also guide and protect students in high-traffic areas.
As part of dialogue week, different teams had the chance to share knowledge about the various methods used in the evaluation. I learned about methods to collect data on steps and heart rate through a smartwatch, GPS data for location, and citizen science methods where young people take photos and record voice messages to share their views about the environment on their route to school.
Key takeaways
Overall, the experience underscored the importance of considering culture and environment in the implementation of walking and cycling interventions and their impact on mental wellbeing. For example, care must be taken to ensure that, when mental wellbeing measures are translated from English to Spanish, the meaning and concepts are retained and the wording is suitable for Colombian Spanish speakers.
With this trip, it was great to get a look at the research context and to meet the children who are taking part, to see firsthand how the programme is making a difference to their physical and mental wellbeing. It also emphasised the value of community assets and placemaking in supporting children’s wellbeing.
At Anna Freud we believe mental wellbeing is the foundation from which children and young people achieve their potential. By continually expanding our understanding and translating it into practice – grounded in science and guided by children and young people – we can ensure they get the right support at the right time.
Find out more about Anna Freud’s commitment to leveraging the power of science and data, and to focusing mental health support in early intervention community support, in our thinking differently manifesto.
On the Way to School is funded by the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) and the UK Medical Research Council. Find out more about the project.
About the Evidence Based Practice Unit
Founded in 2006 as an academic group in the Faculty of Brain Sciences at UCL in collaboration with Anna Freud, the Evidence Based Practice Unit bridges cutting-edge research and innovative practice in children’s mental health. We conduct research, develop tools, provide training, evaluate interventions and disseminate evidence across four themes: risk, resilience, change and choice.
References [1] Andermo S, Hallgren M, Nguyen TT, Jonsson S, Petersen S, Friberg M, Romqvist A, Stubbs B, Elinder LS. School-related physical activity interventions and mental health among children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports medicine- open. 2020 Dec;6:1-27.