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Anthony Laverty and Christopher Millett, Imperial College London, Richard Patterson, University of Cambridge, Jenny Mindell, UCL and Steve Cummins, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
(Project no. 0301627, previously 30162)
Previous work we have conducted has linked using active means of travel (using public transport, walking, cycling) to health outcomes such as lower blood pressure. This study would use the ONS-LS to investigate whether this translates into a reduced risk of mortality (both from IHD and all-cause), by following study members up from 1971 up until the latest available mortality data.
The aim of this research would be to ascertain if people who use active travel in order to get to work are less likely to die over the study period than those using inactive forms of transport. This would first compare all forms of active transport (public transport, walking, cycling) to inactive methods, before investigating whether there is a dose-response relationship whereby cycling may be better than walking and so on.
The research would most likely use Cox proportional hazards models to investigate whether people using active transport in 1991 are less likely to die in the follow up period than those using inactive transport. We would also incorporate information from these same people in later Census years to investigate whether using active travel for longer periods of time confers an added benefit.
This work would fit into other work we are conducting on active transport and health risks in general. So far, this has focused on using Understanding Society data to investigate the cross sectional association between active travel and risks such as blood pressure.