Journal of Transport & Health最新文献

Objective

Transportation walking (TW) offers an opportunity to elevate historically low physical activity levels in Mississippi. This study aims to investigate the TW habits of Mississippians by investigating individual, interpersonal, community, built environment, and policy-related factors, particularly new ones related to culture and rural context.

Methods

Following the social-ecological model, this study employed data from an online cross-sectional survey involving 229 adult Mississippians. Bivariate analysis and a series of logistic regression models were conducted to identify significant factors associated with TW. Additionally, the hierarchical regression technique was used to explore the varying degrees of influence across different levels of factors on TW.

Results

Both bivariate and logistic regression analyses revealed significantly lower odds of TW among individuals perceiving walking as more leisure-oriented than a mode of transportation, those assuming a person who walks needs a ride, and those who like driving. Higher odds of TW are associated with people who reported strong influence from family and friends regarding the choice of walking, who live where many people walk for transportation, and where coffee shops or restaurants are within a 20-min walking distance from home. The hierarchical regression model highlighted that only individual factors like general attitude, positive beliefs, and negative beliefs about TW contributed significantly to the unique variance, rather than external factors related to interpersonal influence, community norms, built environment, and policy.

Conclusions

The study findings suggest potential actions for policymakers in a rural state like Mississippi: 1) emphasizing education on walking as a mode of transportation rather than solely a leisure activity; 2) promoting a positive perception of individuals who walk for transportation purposes; 3) implementing advocacy campaigns or educational initiatives in smaller, close-knit groups like workplaces, churches, or schools; and 4) enhancing walking accessibility to daily destinations through mixed-land use planning or improved transit services.

Introduction

Travelers increasingly consider their emotional needs when making travel mode choices. While travel satisfaction (TS) is insufficient for a comprehensive evaluation of travel modes, subjective well-being (SWB) has gained attention. However, the relationship and differences between subjective well-being and TS have yet to receive adequate attention.

Method

This study aims to clarify the correlations and differences between TS and subjective well-being from three aspects: definition, current research, and relationship mechanism, using a literature review method.

Results

The study results show that (1) TS can be seen as a component of the definition of subjective well-being. (2) Further research is needed on both subjective well-being and TS in the Chinese context. (3) Subjective well-being provides a more accurate and comprehensive representation of passengers' evaluations of travel modes than TS. From another perspective, TS is more suitable for measuring the influence of emotional factors on travel mode choice.

Conclusions

The result provides a valuable reference for understanding subjective well-being and TS, distinguishing the differences between the two concepts and the research value of both. It helps marketers develop and implement effective marketing strategies to encourage passengers to choose eco-friendly travel modes.

Introduction

Research on the effects of campus street openness and greenery on college students' moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is relatively limited, as is research based on campus street view data.

Methods

This study utilized campus street view data to explore the relationship between objective campus environmental factors and college students' campus walkability and MVPA. The data were collected from surveys conducted at 34 universities in China involving 1173 college students.

Results

We found that both campus walkability and MVPA of college students will not be affected by campus greenery but they are significantly positively affected by campus sky view factor (SVF) which affects college students' MVPA through partial mediation effect of campus walkability.

Conclusions

SVF is the most different environmental factor in Chinese university campuses, but it is the most important factor that affects the evaluation of campus walkability and promotes MVPA of college students. Therefore, the issues of visual enclosure and spatial suppression on campus streets should be given attention. The results suggest that designers should focus on enhancing the openness of campus street spaces in campus planning, landscape design, and healthy campus construction.

Aligned with sustainable development goals, the promotion of active and public transport commuting has gained ground in the last decade. However, literature empirically addressing the individual outcomes of different commuting modes remains scarce.

Aim

The core aim of this research was to assess and compare a literature-based set of travel, health, and welfare-related outcomes among three different groups of urban daily commuters: private motorized, public transport, and active commuters.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used a nationwide sample of n= 2370 urban daily commuters from all 17 regions of Spain. Participants, aged between 18 and 70, with an average of M= 33 years, were drawn from all 17 regions of Spain, and responded to an electronic survey on commuting issues.

Results

As hypothesized, different groups of commuters had different psychosocial trip- and welfare-related outcomes. Indeed, most indicators, except for travel satisfaction, showed a favorable association with the sustainability value attributed to each commuting means. Particularly, active travelers had significantly lower commuting stress and Body Mass Index (BMI) values, and higher rates of life satisfaction and pro-environmental behavior in areas beyond transport, in stark contrast to private motorized users. Public transport users, although ‘in the middle’ in most aspects, report the highest commuter stress rates.

Conclusion

The results of this research endorse the assumption that the commuting mode matters, but the relationship between transport sustainability and user outcomes cannot be understood as ‘totally linear’. These insights can be valuable for initiatives aimed at promoting shifts towards more sustainable –and active– transportation patterns among commuters, who constitute an interest group in current mobility planning and decision-making.

Background

Hearing loss (HL) is a significant issue for drivers_ especially among those who are exposed to high levels of noise in their workplace. The prevalence of hearing loss among drivers varies according to the specific studied population. This hearing loss happens because traffic noise is one of the initial sources of environmental pollution that can cause permanent or temporary hearing loss in drivers. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of hearing loss in drivers.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive search by looking into electronic databases to identify all published articles that investigated the prevalence of hearing loss in Iranian drivers up to January 2024. After extracting the relevant data from two independent authors, we recorded them in standard sheet form in Excel. We used the Newcastle-Ottava Scale (NOS) to assess the quality of the included studies, and each study was judged on three domains. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Metaphor command in STATA version 16.0 (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA). The pooled proportion with a 95% confidence interval was computed using the exact binomial method with Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation.

Results

221 studies were identified by searching among online databases. Finally, 15 eligible articles were selected for the current meta-analysis. Meta-analysis results showed that the prevalence of bilateral HL among professional drivers was estimated to be 30 % (95% CI: 23–37 %; I2 = 99.56%). The meta-analysis results from the included studies were pooled using the random effect model and the prevalence of right HL was estimated to be 19% (95% CI: 9–31%; I2 = 99.83%) and left HL to be 23% (95% CI: 12–36%; I2 = 99.82%) among Iranian's professional drivers.

Conclusions

In summary, the prevalence and severity of hearing loss among professional drivers is high in various studies. Regular screening of ear damage and noise prevention training is recommended to reduce the impact of noise-induced hearing loss on drivers' quality of life and careers.

Introduction

Climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, which can lead to increased congestion on roadways as drivers slow down and navigate hazardous conditions. Flexible working can be a potential solution because it reduces the need for employees to commute to work.

Methods

This study investigates the traffic congestion spatiotemporal patterns of flexible working in extreme weather events (i.e., heavy snow) by using the public health emergency as a natural experiment. We collect real-time traffic data from Harbin, China, and provide a framework to quantify the reduction of traffic congestion under extreme weather conditions. During the epidemic lockdown period, only crucial workers were allowed to go to work in the study area; everybody else was working from home. This is the maximum level of flexible working that a system can allow. Hence, our findings provide an upper limit for traffic congestion reduction in extreme weather events. We constructed three scenarios, i.e., baseline, snow, and snow with work-from-home (WFH). We use time series analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis methods to study the spatiotemporal patterns of traffic congestion during morning peak hours (6:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m.) at 10-min intervals.

Results

The data analysis identified that significant traffic congestion reduction due to the WFH arrangement. For example, the longest travel duration is reduced from 120 min in the snow scenario to 50 min in the snow with WFH scenario.

Conclusions

This study reveals the geographical patterns of urban traffic congestion, providing support for guiding residents to optimize snowy travel methods in future interventions, policy changes, and research.

Introduction

Serious games generate a virtual environment where players are immersed in simulated conflicts, guided by distinct rules. They replicate intricate systems, like transportation, encouraging social engagement via reinforced learning. Unlike preference-based studies, these games offer enhanced real-time feedback on players' actions. Thus, they reveal how user experience and social interaction influence decision-making over time. We use a serious game to study the willingness of travelers to adopt automated mobility, specifically shared modes of transport, an important step toward alleviating congestion, enhancing the quality of urban living, and improving people's health and well-being.

Methods

For each scenario, 100 participants were randomly divided into ten groups of ten interacting players. They chose independently out of three automated transportation modes - shared ride, shared car, and automated transit-over 50 simulated days how to commute to work. They aimed to maximize their overall score by arriving punctually, which was influenced by their mode and departure time and the choices of fellow players. Cross-nested logit kernel choice models were estimated based on the game data.

Results

In the recurring congestion scenario players learned to adopt the shared ride at the expense of transit; in the nonrecurring congestion scenario, random incidents increased the use of transit and shared car (ride alone).

Conclusions

Congested traffic motivated a shift to ridesharing at the expense of private rides and public transport; however, the latter was highly demanded when traffic became unsmooth and travel times more uncertain. The implications can be translated to health promoting polices to encourage sustainable travel behaviors while also improving transportation efficiency.

Background

Transportation and health are undeniably related topics. Transportation choices impact our physical and mental health, affecting our activity levels and access to different opportunities. In recent years, research on the transportation and health domain has mainly focused on urban settings, while the rural population has been overlooked. Research is needed to explore the complex relationships across transportation-related health determinants in the rural context and support policies prioritizing health in these areas.

Methods

A conceptual framework is proposed based on an extensive literature review to identify the factors representing the transportation and health relationships in the rural U.S. Confirmatory factor analyses are employed to identify the variables representing each transportation-related health determinant. A structural equation model (SEM) is then estimated to quantify the relationships between these determinants in the rural U.S. For this endeavor, we collected individual data from an online survey and available secondary spatial data. A policy approach, the ABC PATH, is also proposed to support community health through transportation changes.

Results

We find strong and significant associations across all transportation-related health determinants, particularly with physical activity. Decreasing car usage and providing alternative transportation options can increase health and well-being. The proposed ABC PATH policy approach comprehensively promotes a healthy lifestyle and identifies potential interventions, with particular attention to vulnerable groups.

Conclusions

This paper presents a conceptual framework and quantifies the complex interrelationships between transportation and health in rural areas. The policy implications suggest that decision-makers must identify all-inclusive solutions and promote active lifestyles, considering the interlinked connections of the transportation-related determinants examined herein.

Background

Vulnerable road users (those walking, or using bikes, scooters, or skateboards, for example) are common on college campuses and in college towns. As a mode of transportation, skateboards have not received much recognition, even as their popularity has increased. This study aimed to examine the perceptions and experiences of those who engage in skateboarding in and around a college town and its campus via qualitative interviews.

Methods

An interview script was developed to investigate the experiences of those who used a skateboard for transportation. Queries included reasons for using a skateboard, local perceptions, existing barriers and enablers, and past experiences. Responses were gathered via both one-on-one interview and hardcopy interview and were transcribed and analyzed for common themes.

Results

Forty-two interviews were conducted an analyzed. Participants shed light on several themes included reasons for using a skateboard for transportation; physical health and emotional well-being; feelings of accomplishment; and community connectedness (or exclusivity).

Discussion

The results of this study offer a unique perspective, as those who used a skateboard exhibited a heightened sense of place, community connectiveness, and accessibility, coupled with physical activity and stress relief. However, they found the mixed messaging present in the transportation landscape to be alienating, effectively discouraging skateboarding as a transportation option by making those using skateboards feel unwelcome no matter where they ride.

Conclusion

Skateboarding is not as visually or publicly supported by infrastructure and culture as are cycling and walking, unintentionally hindering the benefits of skateboard use. All vulnerable road users need to be considered in transportation planning. Where completely separated travel lanes are not feasible, shared travel spaces, or the redesignation of existing bike lanes and sidewalks for multiple use, might help overcome many issues that are rooted in exclusion.

Background

As an essential outdoor activity for children, the school commute has received repeated attention in the existing literature. Nevertheless, prior studies on the travel mode choice for school commutes have predominantly focused on the preferred commuting mode, overlooking the exploration of students' travel mode alternative behaviors. In this context, research is crucial to capture students' propensity and perceived ability to shift their travel mode from car to public and active transport.

Methods

To address this gap, our study introduces a definition of ‘Travel Mode Choice tolerance’ (TMC tolerance) to explore alternative mode behaviors during school commutes for elementary school students. The latest data from the Beijing Student Commuting Survey are adopted to analyze student populations with varying TMC tolerance levels. The chi-squared test is also employed to examine the impact of different influencing factors on TMC tolerance.

Results

Based on the empirical results derived from this definition, it is observed that students with a strong tolerance for modal shifts constitute more than half of the student population. Factors such as grade level, mode of escort, and distance were identified as significant influencers on children's TMC tolerances. Particularly noteworthy is that the percentage of students with a strong TMC tolerance significantly increases when the travel distance exceeds 2.25 km. Among students traveling alone, a higher proportion exhibits low tolerance than those with high tolerance. Additionally, the proportion of students with strong TMC tolerance increases with grade level (age).

Conclusions

Operationalizing TMC tolerance as preference and ability variation can capture the collective impact of complex factors shaping commuting decisions, both observed and unobserved. According to the findings, four policy suggestions are proposed, including optimizing school site selection, establishing school buses or children-concerned transit systems, enhancing healthy travel education, and planning active travel routes.