Suchergebnisse

Background: Transport mode choice has been associated with different health risks and benefits depending on which transport mode is used. We aimed to evaluate the association between different transport modes use and several health and social contact measures. Methods: We based our analyses on the Physical Activity through Sustainable Transport Approaches (PASTA) longitudinal study, conducted over a period of two years in seven European cities. 8802 participants finished the baseline questionnaire, and 3567 answered the final questionnaire. Participants were 18 years of age or older (16 years of age or older in Zurich) and lived, worked and/or studied in one of the case-study cities. Associations between transport mode use and health/social contact measures were estimated using mixed-effects logistic regression models, linear regression models, and logistic regression models according to the data available. All the associations were assessed with single and multiple transport mode models. All models were adjusted for potential confounders. Results: In multiple transport mode models, bicycle use was associated with good self-perceived health [OR (CI 95%) = 1.07 (1.05, 1.08)], all the mental health measures [perceived stress: coef (CI 95%) = −0.016 (−0.028, −0.004); mental health: coef (CI 95%) = 0.11 (0.05, 0.18); vitality: coef (CI 95%) = 0.14 (0.07, 0.22)], and with fewer feelings of loneliness [coef (CI 95%) = −0.03 (−0.05, −0.01)]. Walking was associated with good self-perceived health [OR (CI 95%) = 1.02 (1.00, 1.03)], higher vitality [coef (CI 95%) = 0.14 (0.05, 0.23)], and more frequent contact with friends/family [OR (CI 95%) = 1.03 (1.00, 1.05)]. Car use was associated with fewer feelings of loneliness [coef (CI 95%) = −0.04 (−0.06, −0.02)]. The results for e-bike and public transport use were non-significant, and the results for motorbike use were inconclusive. Conclusions: Similarity of findings across cities suggested that active transport, especially bicycle use, should be encouraged to improve population health and social outcomes. ; This work was supported by the European project PASTA, which had partners in London, Rome, Antwerp, Örebro, Vienna, Zurich, and Barcelona. PASTA (http://www.pastaproject.eu/) was a 4-year project funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Program under EC-GA No. 602624-2 (FP7-HEALTH-2013-INNOVATION-1). ED was supported by a postdoctoral scholarship from FWO – Research Foundation Flanders. JPO was financed by the Colombian Government, Colciencias Scholarship for PhD's abroad number 646. The funding sources had no involvement in the study. MJN had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.

Background: Although walking for travel can help in reaching the daily recommended levels of physical activity, we know relatively little about the correlates of walking for travel in the European context. Objective: Within the framework of the European Physical Activity through Sustainable Transport Approaches (PASTA) project, we aimed to explore the correlates of walking for travel in European cities. Methods: The same protocol was applied in seven European cities. Using a web-based questionnaire, we collected information on total minutes of walking per week, individual characteristics, mobility behavior, and attitude (N = 7,875). Characteristics of the built environment (the home and the work/study addresses) were determined with geographic information system (GIS)-based techniques. We conducted negative binomial regression analyses, including city as a random effect. Factor and principal component analyses were also conducted to define profiles of the different variables of interest. Results: Living in high-density residential areas with richness of facilities and density of public transport stations was associated with increased walking for travel, whereas the same characteristics at the work/study area were less strongly associated with the outcome when the residential and work/study environments were entered in the model jointly. A walk-friendly social environment was associated with walking for travel. All three factors describing different opinions about walking (ranging from good to bad) were associated with increased minutes of walking per week, although the importance given to certain criteria to choose a mode of transport provided different results according to the criteria. Discussion: The present study supports findings from previous research regarding the role of the built environment in the promotion of walking for travel and provides new findings to help in achieving sustainable, healthy, livable, and walkable cities. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP4603. ; PASTA (Physical Activity through Sustainable Transport Approaches; http://www.pastaproject.eu/) is a 4-y project funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Program under EC-GA No. 602624-2 (FP7-HEALTH-2013-INNOVATION-1).

Introduction: Only one-third of the European population meets the minimum recommended levels of physical activity (PA). Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases. Walking and cycling for transport (active mobility, AM) are well suited to provide regular PA. The European research project Physical Activity through Sustainable Transport Approaches (PASTA) pursues the following aims: (1) to investigate correlates and interrelations of AM, PA, air pollution and crash risk; (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of selected interventions to promote AM; (3) to improve health impact assessment (HIA) of AM; (4) to foster the exchange between the disciplines of public health and transport planning, and between research and practice. Methods and analysis: PASTA pursues a mixedmethod and multilevel approach that is consistently applied in seven case study cities. Determinants of AM and the evaluation of measures to increase AM are investigated through a large scale longitudinal survey, with overall 14 000 respondents participating in Antwerp, Barcelona, London, Örebro, Rome, Vienna and Zurich. Contextual factors are systematically gathered in each city. PASTA generates empirical findings to improve HIA for AM, for example, with estimates of crash risks, factors on AM-PA substitution and carbon emissions savings from mode shifts. Findings from PASTA will inform WHO's online Health Economic Assessment Tool on the health benefits from cycling and/or walking. The study's wide scope, the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods and health and transport methods, the innovative survey design, the general and city-specific analyses, and the transdisciplinary composition of the consortium and the wider network of partners promise highly relevant insights for research and practice. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval has been obtained by the local ethics committees in the countries where the work is being conducted, and sent to the European Commission before the start of the survey. The PASTA website (http://www.pastaproject.eu) is at the core of all communication and dissemination activities. ; This work is supported by the European project Physical Activity through Sustainable Transportation Approaches (PASTA), which has partners in London, Rome, Antwerp, Örebro, Vienna, Zurich, and Barcelona. PASTA (http://www.pastaproject.eu/) is a 4-year project funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Program under EC-GA No. 602624-2 (FP7-HEALTH-2013-INNOVATION-1).