Public transportation promotes better health than bikes: Study

It has been found that people who ride a bus or a train to work have lower risk of heart disease and stroke compared with drivers of cars and bicycles. New research reveals that taking public transportation promotes 44 percent lower risk of obesity and 34 percent reduced risk of diabetes. The study was recently presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2015.

The findings come from the analysis of daily activities of nearly 6,000 adults in Japan. The analysis shows the link of transportation to risks of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

Researchers found that bus or train commuters are less likely to suffer the aforementioned conditions as they tend to walk farther to and from the stations than bikers or walkers who travelled to and from work. These commuters were also found 27 percent less likely to have high blood pressure.

The researchers compared different means of transportation, such as bus or train, private cars and bikes, to discover their potential health benefits. They also studied adults who walk to work every day. The researchers also took into account other factors such as the participants' age, gender and smoking habits for the analysis.

Earlier studies have established that a physically active lifestyle can help reduce risks of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. However, the researchers of the new study noted that it is still unclear if the risk factors for heart disease and stroke could directly be influenced by how a person travels to work.

"People should consider taking public transportation instead of a car, as a part of daily, regular exercise," said lead author Hisako Tsuji, director of the Moriguchi City Health Examination Centre in Osaka, Japan.

She added that the findings could help healthcare providers support its patients with necessary treatments. However, further studies are still required to look into the study's implications to a wider population, as the research was only limited to Japanese participants.

Japanese are considered to be less likely to be obese due to their lifestyle compared with people in other developed countries. In Australia, about 63 percent of adults were obese or overweight in the previous years, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

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