Citation

Rojas-Rueda D, de Nazelle A, Teixidó O, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ. Prev. Med. 2013; 57(5): 573-579.

Affiliation

Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), C. Doctor Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Municipal Institute of Medical Research (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain. Electronic address: rojas.rueda.d@gmail.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.07.021

PMID

23938465

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Quantify the health impacts on morbidity of reduced car trips and increased public transport and cycling trips. METHODS: A health impact assessment study of morbidity outcomes related to replacing car trips in Barcelona metropolitan (3,231,458 inhabitants). Through 8 different transport scenarios, the number of cases of disease or injuries related to physical activity, particulate matter air pollution<2.5μm (PM2.5) and traffic incidents in travelers was estimated. We also estimate PM2.5 exposure and cases of disease in the general population. RESULTS: A 40% reduction in long-duration car trips substituted by public transport and cycling trips resulted in annual reductions of 127 cases of diabetes, 44 of cardiovascular diseases, 30 of dementia, 16 minor injuries, 0.14 major injuries, 11 of breast cancer and 3 of colon-cancer, amounting to a total reduction of 302 DALYs per year in travelers. The reduction in PM2.5 exposure in the general population resulted in annual reductions of 7 cases of low birth weight, 6 of preterm birth, 1 of cardiovascular disease and 1 of lower respiratory tract infection. CONCLUSIONS: Transport policies to reduce car trips could produce important health benefits in terms of reduced morbidity, particularly for those who take up active transportation.

Language: en