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Public transport use and mortality among older adults in England: A cohort study

Patterson, Richard; De Oliveira, Cesar; Schneider, Ione Jayce Ceola; Mindell, Jennifer S; Panter, Jenna; Laverty, Anthony A; (2024) Public transport use and mortality among older adults in England: A cohort study. Preventative Medicine , 186 , Article 108064. 10.1016/j.ypmed.2024.108064. Green open access

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Most evidence on transport use and mortality has focused on the commute to work. This study aims to fill a gap by assessing relationships between public transport use and mortality among older adults. METHODS: Data come from a cohort of 10,186 individuals aged 50 or older who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), with survey data linked to mortality records over 16 years (2002-2018). We assessed a binary measure of public transport use and frequency of use from 'every day or nearly every day' to 'never'. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between public transport use and mortality. Analyses were adjusted for a range of covariates including socio-demographic factors, chronic disease, and self-reported problems with daily living activities. RESULTS: Overall, 3371 participants (33.1%) died within the study period. Mortality was lower among public transport users (21.3%) compared with non-users (64.2%). Adjusted analyses found that users had 34% lower mortality than non-users (HR 0.66 (95% CI 0.61;0.71)). Adjusted analyses showed similar association sizes across frequencies of public transport use, with those using public transport every day or nearly every day having 41% lower mortality than never users (HR 0.59 (0.49;0.71)). Associations were similar among those with and without a longstanding illness. CONCLUSION: The use of public transport among older adults is linked to lower levels of mortality. Reductions in provision of public transport services could be detrimental to both transportation and population health.

Type: Article
Title: Public transport use and mortality among older adults in England: A cohort study
Location: United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2024.108064
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2024.108064
Language: English
Additional information: This is an Open Access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: Active travel, Ageing, ELSA, Mortality, Public transport
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Epidemiology and Public Health
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10195034
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