THE ESSENTIAL
- The links between travel constraints, “social participation” and health are stronger among people aged over 55.
- “The over-55s are more likely to face other travel constraints, such as reduced mobility. They are also more likely to suffer from loneliness,” according to the authors.
“Travel outside its region allows people to meet other people and access a wide range of services and opportunities. However, travel may be limited by the lack of public transport or by factors personal”, said researchers from University College London. To find out if these constraints are associated with poor health, they carried out a study published in the journal Journal of Transport & Health.
More than 2,747 English people were questioned about their movements
As part of this work, the scientists analyzed travel in the north of England, where residents face more serious health problems than in the rest of the country and where many rural and suburban areas face poor accessibility to transport.
To carry out their research, the team asked 2,747 adults to complete an online questionnaire. They had to indicate the levels of travel constraints, the number of places visited, the distance traveled and the mode of transport for trips more than 24 km from home. The authors used a research technique, called “path analysis,” to determine the direct and indirect effects of participants’ travel constraints.
Traveling outside your region increases contact with loved ones
“It turns out that the key variable is the number of different places people visit outside of their local area”said Paulo Anciaes, author of the study, in a statement. According to the results, people who travel more outside their region feel healthier than those who stay closer to home. According to the researchers, adults who travel to different places are more likely to see friends and family regularly. This increase in “social participation” is then linked to better health.
“The results confirm the importance of being able to travel outside one’s local area for social participation and health and underline the need to put in place public policies that reduce the constraints on travel, by offering better conditions for the use of private and public transport which allows more frequent and longer journeys”, can we read in the results.