Does active commuting improve psychological wellbeing? Longitudinal evidence from eighteen waves of the British Household Panel Survey

Abstract

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to explore the relationship between active travel and psychological wellbeing.MethodThis study used data on 17,985 adult commuters in eighteen waves of the British Household Panel Survey (1991/2–2008/9). Fixed effects regression models were used to investigate how (i.) travel mode choice, (ii.) commuting time, and (iii.) switching to active travel impacted on overall psychological wellbeing and how (iv.) travel mode choice impacted on specific psychological symptoms included in the General Health Questionnaire.ResultsAfter accounting for changes in individual-level socioeconomic characteristics and potential confounding variables relating to work, residence and health, significant associations were observed between overall psychological wellbeing (on a 36-point Likert scale) and (i.) active travel (0.185, 95% CI: 0.048 to 0.321) and public transport (0.195, 95% CI: 0.035 to 0.355) when compared to car travel, (ii.) time spent (per 10 minute change) walking (0.083, 95% CI: 0.003 to 0.163) and driving (− 0.033, 95% CI: − 0.064 to − 0.001), and (iii.) switching from car travel to active travel (0.479, 95% CI: 0.199 to 0.758). Active travel was also associated with reductions in the odds of experiencing two specific psychological symptoms when compared to car travel.ConclusionThe positive psychological wellbeing effects identified in this study should be considered in cost–benefit assessments of interventions seeking to promote active travel.

Commute time and subjective well-being in urban China

“…This CT-SWB association is mediated not only by experiences of traffic congestion but also reduced time for physically active leisure. For example, Martin et al (2014) use BHPS data to show that commute time spent walking slightly increases psychological well-being, whereas time spent driving decreases it.…”

“…Even the few studies that do investigate commute time's impact on subjective well-being (SWB), albeit mainly in Western settings, are inconclusive (Dickerson et al, 2014;Humphreys et al, 2013;Martin et al, 2014;Olsson et al, 2013;Roberts et al, 2011;Stutzer and Frey, 2008;Turcotte, 2011). These results are also difficult to generalize, especially to developing settings like China, where the increasing urban sprawl and traffic congestion in cities are particularly pronounced (Wang and Chai, 2009).…”

“…As in several past studies (see Dickerson et al, 2014;Martin et al, 2014;Roberts et al, 2011), we classify the modes of commuting as follows: 1 = private car, 2 = walking, 3 = bicycle, 4 = electric cycle/motor, 5 = bus, and 6 = other, with private car as the reference category. Like Roberts et al (2011), we reclassify these modes as a dummy variable that captures active commuting, with 1 = active commuting (walking or cycling) and 0 otherwise.…”

How Sharing Can Contribute to More Sustainable Cities

“…(Wellbeing can be viewed as an indirect consequence of a number of opportunities that involve using shared space for different purposes, such as active commuting [39][40][41][42]; sharing work to increase economic wellbeing [43]; and sharing experiences to increase or improve social interactions.) Here, a range of spaces and artefacts are shared across and between residents, including rooftop allotment gardens, car club membership, and a café.…”

Examining ways to enhance active transportation and the impact on commuters' health, wellbeing and sustainable development

“…Furthermore, active commuting is associated with high levels of physical wellbeing (Humphreys et al, 2013). In addition, the relationship between active travel and psychological wellbeing has also been examined by Martin et al (2014), by providing important information about the positive impact on the overall psychological wellbeing by switching to an active travel mode. This study showed that there is a strong relationship between overall psychological wellbeing and active travel as well as public transport when compared to car travel, time spent for walking and driving, and switching from car travel to active travel.…”