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Does commuting mode choice impact health?

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  • Nikita Jacob
  • Luke Munford
  • Nigel Rice
  • Jennifer Roberts

Abstract

Governments around the world are encouraging people to switch away from sedentary modes of travel towards more active modes, including walking and cycling. The aim of these schemes is to improve population health and to reduce emissions. There is considerable evidence on the latter, but relatively little on the former. This paper investigates the impact of mode choice on physical and mental health. Using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, we exploit changes in mode of commute to identify health outcome responses. Individuals who change modes are matched with those whose mode remains constant. Overall we find that mode switches affect both physical and mental health. When switching from car to active travel we see an increase in physical health for women and in mental health for both genders. In contrast, both men and women who switch from active travel to car are shown to experience a significant reduction in their physical health and health satisfaction, and a decline in their mental health when they change from active to public transport.

Suggested Citation

  • Nikita Jacob & Luke Munford & Nigel Rice & Jennifer Roberts, 2021. "Does commuting mode choice impact health?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 207-230, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:30:y:2021:i:2:p:207-230
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.4184
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    1. Chris Sampson’s journal round-up for 8th March 2021
      by Chris Sampson in The Academic Health Economists' Blog on 2021-03-08 12:00:01

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    Cited by:

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    3. Lim, Seulgi & Lee, Soohyung, 2023. "Sejong's Effects on People's Health: Consequences of a Long Commute," IZA Discussion Papers 16003, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Echeverría, Lucía & Gimenez-Nadal, J. Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2022. "Active commuting and the health of workers," Nülan. Deposited Documents 3778, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales, Centro de Documentación.
    5. Nuno Figueiredo & Filipe Rodrigues & Pedro Morouço & Diogo Monteiro, 2021. "Active Commuting: An Opportunity to Fight Both Climate Change and Physical Inactivity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-5, April.
    6. Tao, Yinhua & van Ham, Maarten & Petrović, Ana & Ta, Na, 2023. "A household perspective on the commuting paradox: Longitudinal relationships between commuting time and subjective wellbeing for couples in China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    7. Adiwan Aritenang, 2022. "Examining Socio-Economic Inequality Among Commuters: The Case of the Jakarta Metropolitan Area," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(3), pages 172-184.
    8. Tao, Yinhua & Petrović, Ana & van Ham, Maarten, 2023. "Working from home and subjective wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of pre-COVID-19 commuting distance and mode choices," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    9. Melina Stein & Luca Nitschke & Laura Trost & Ansgar Dirschauer & Jutta Deffner, 2022. "Impacts of Commuting Practices on Social Sustainability and Sustainable Mobility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-18, April.

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    JEL classification:

    • C1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General
    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health

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