The relationship between health indices and active travel scores in metropolitan US cities

Abstract

Commuting via active travel has been related to lower levels of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular risk factors, increased physical activity levels and an improved ability to maintain healthy weight. The 2015 Bike Score®, 2016 Walk Score® and 2015 Transit Score® comprise a patented, standardised scoring system developed using novel, web-based geospatial technologies to score accessibility of biking, walking and public transportation. The objective of this research was to determine the relationship between population health indices (related to weight and wellness) within 72 metropolitan cities in the USA. A multivariate multiple regression was calculated followed by a Pearson’s correlation. The Bike Score® was significantly associated with several health indices, including overall wellbeing (p=.027), exercise frequently (p=.005), smoking (p=.010), healthy weight (p=.003), obesity (p=.018) and physical inactivity (p≤.000). The Bike Score® was not significantly associated with eating produce frequently (p=.122), daily stress (p=.895) or overweight (p=.669). Bike Score® correlated positively (p=<.05) with wellbeing (r=.32) and healthy weight (r=.44), and negatively with smoking (r=-.48), obesity (r=-.42) and physical inactivity (r=-.55). The Bike Score® also correlated positively with the Walk Score® (r=.69) and Transit Score® (r=.64) (p ≤.000 for both). This correlational study indicated that residents living in more bicycle friendly metropolitan US cities reported significantly better well-being, they smoke less, have a healthy weight, are less obese and are more physically active. By increasing the bikeability of a city as indicated through the Bike Score®, there is impetus to improve population health of city dwellers.