Health impact assessment of increasing public transport and cycling use in Barcelona: A morbidity and burden of disease approach

• Published in: Preventive medicine Vol. 57; no. 5; pp. 573 - 579
• Main Authors: Rojas-Rueda, D, de Nazelle, A, Teixidó, O, Nieuwenhuijsen, MJ
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01-11-2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Accidents, Traffic; Adult; Aged; Air pollution; Air Pollution - prevention & control; Bicycles; Bicycling; Bicycling - statistics & numerical data; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular diseases; Cause of Death; Chronic Disease - mortality; Chronic Disease - prevention & control; Female; Health Impact Assessment; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Morbidity; Motor Activity; Physical activity; Prevention and actions; Preventive programmes; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Public transport; Spain; Traffic injuries; Transportation - statistics & numerical data; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data; Wounds and Injuries - mortality; Wounds and Injuries - prevention & control; Europe; Spain; Spain, Cataluna, Barcelona; RR; Years Lived with Disability; Physical activity; PM 2.5; Health Impact Assessment; Metabolic Equivalent of Task; NO2; YLD; Traffic injuries; METs; OECD; Nitrogen Dioxide; NOx; Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development; YLL; Disability Adjusted Life Years; Health Effects Institute; Public transport; Medical Subject Headings; Years of Life Lost; UFP; WHO; HIA; OR; World Health Organization; Fine particles (less than 2.5 μm); Particulate matter less than 10 μm; PM 10; MeSH; HEI; DALYs; Bicycling; BAU; nitrogen oxides; Ultra-fine Particles; Odds ratio; Air pollution; Business as usual; Relative Risk; PM2.5; PM10; Health impact assessment; Physical exercise; Evaluation; Use; Bicycle; Epidemiology; Morbidity; Traffic injury; Health and environment; Health hazards; Transport; Public health; Fine particles (less than 2.5μm); Particulate matter less than 10μm; PM(2.5); PM
• ISSN: 0091-7435; 1096-0260
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.07.021

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 < 2.5 μm (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 Disability Adjusted Life Years 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.