ArticleBMJ public health2024
Health benefits of pedestrian and cyclist commuting: evidence from the Scottish Longitudinal Study.
Article in BMJ public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effects of active travel interventions in the UK on disadvantaged population groups and their potential to reduce health inequalities: systematic review.Journal of epidemiology and community health · 2026Pooled it
- Modelled Physical Activity Benefits and PMToxics · 2026Article
- Associations between physical activity and sociodemographic and migration-related correlates among adults with a history of migration in Germany: results of a nationwide cross-sectional survey.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Commuting by bicycle (vs. by car) is associated with improved aerobic power, microvascular function and diminished COExperimental physiology · 2026Article
- A scoping review of bicycling interventions' impacts on psychological, social, affective, and cognitive well-being.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Review
- Urban environments' impacts on aging in post-industrial cities: reviewing the pathways to healthy aging.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Despite active travel investment increasing, evidence of benefit is often limited to selected health outcomes and a short follow-up period, and cyclists and pedestrians are often analysed together. We aimed to examine prospective associations with multiple health outcomes over 18 years for pedestrians and cyclists separately. Methods: The Scottish Longitudinal Study is based on census data, from which we selected 82 297 individuals aged 16-74 years. Individuals were followed-up between 2001 and 2018 through linkage to hospitalisation, death and prescription records. Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare cyclist and pedestrian commuters with non-active commuters for a range of health outcomes, controlling for pre-existing health conditions, and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Results: Compared with non-active commuting, cyclist commuting was associated with lower all-cause mortality risk (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.73), lower risk of any hospitalisation (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.97), lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) hospitalisation (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.91) and of having a CVD prescription (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.78), lower risk of cancer mortality (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.82) and cancer hospitalisation (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.98), and lower risk of having a prescription for mental health problems (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.89). Pedestrian commuting was associated with lower risk of any hospitalisation (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.93), lower risk of CVD hospitalisation (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.96) and of having a CVD prescription (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.93), and lower risk of a mental health prescription (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.90 to 0.97). Conclusion: Active commuters were less likely to suffer from a range of negative physical and mental health outcomes than non-active commuters. These findings strengthen the evidence for the health benefits of active commuting.
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