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Does Commuting Mode Choice Impact Health?

Author

Listed:
  • Nikita Jacob

    (Centre for Health Economics, University of York, UK)

  • Luke Munford

    (School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, UK)

  • Nigel Rice

    (Centre for Health Economics, University of York, UK)

  • Jennifer Roberts

    (Department of Economics, University of Sheffield)

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, yet relatively little on the former. This paper investigates the impact of mode choice on measures of physical and mental health as well as satisfaction with health. Using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study from 2009-2016, our empirical strategy exploits changes in the 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. Specifically we find an increase in physical health for women and an increase in mental health for both genders, when switching from car to active travel. 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, 2019. "Does Commuting Mode Choice Impact Health?," Working Papers 2019023, The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:shf:wpaper:2019023
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    File URL: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/economics/research/serps
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    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

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. José Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & José Alberto Molina & Jorge Velilla, 2024. "The daily mobility of older adults: Urban/rural differences in ten developed countries," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 72(1), pages 141-161, January.
    2. Kong, Hui & Wu, Jingyi & Li, Pengfei, 2024. "Impacts of active mobility on individual health mediated by physical activities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 348(C).
    3. Reinfeld, Nicole & Hagen, Tobias, 2025. "How would employees commute today if they had the same characteristics as employees in 1980? – Using entropy balancing to decompose changes in observed commuting mode choice over time in repeated cros," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    4. 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).
    5. Echeverría, Lucía & Gimenez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2022. "Active Commuting and the Health of Workers," IZA Discussion Papers 15572, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Belloc, Ignacio & Gimenez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2024. "The gasoline price and the commuting behavior of US commuters: Exploring changes to green travel mode choices," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    7. 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).
    8. 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.
    9. Marta Domagalska-Grędys & Wojciech Sroka, 2025. "A Balanced Professional and Private Life? Organisational and Personal Determinants of Work–Life Balance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-31, August.
    10. 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).
    11. 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.
    12. Giménez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2021. "Two-way commuting: Asymmetries from time use surveys," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    13. 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.
    14. 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.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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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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