Healio
Healio
November 12, 2015
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Public transportation linked to lower risk of diabetes, hypertension, body fat

ORLANDO, Fla. — In Japan, individuals who took public transportation were 44% less likely to be overweight, 27% less likely to have elevated BP and 34% less likely to have diabetes, compared with those who drove a car, according to recently presented data.

Hisako Tsuji, MD, director of Moriguchi City Health Examination Center in Osaka, Japan, and colleagues analyzed 5,908 adults who had received an annual health exam in 2012 in Moriguchi City, Japan to assess the correlation between co­mmute method and excess body weight, hypertension and diabetes.  Commuting modes included walking or cycling, bus or train and driving a car.

Results demonstrated that after adjusting for covariates such as age, sex, smoking status and physical activity, those who used public transportation had a significantly lower prevalence of excess body fat (OR = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.45-0.69), hypertension (OR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.59-0.90), and diabetes (OR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.44-0.99), compared with car drivers.

A correlation between smoking and commute method was seen, with only 17.8% who took a bus or train and 18.4% who walked or biked being current smokers compared with 38.2% of those who drove, according to the researchers.

The researchers noted that no direct conclusions can be drawn from the results since it is unclear whether those who commuted by public transportation were healthier than car drivers prior to the study, or whether taking public transportation improved the health of those individuals.

“People should consider taking public transportation instead of a car, as a part of daily, regular exercise. It may be useful for health care providers to ask patients about how they commute,” Tsuji said in a press release. – by Casey Hower

Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.

Reference:

Hisako T, et al. Commuting by Public Transportation is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Excess Body Weight. Abstract #15214. Presented at: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions; Nov. 7-11, 2015; Orlando, Fla.