Cycling cuts risk of early death by 47%: new study

This is good news on wheels for bike commuters.

Cyclists have a 47% lower risk of early death and a 10% lower risk of being hospitalized for any reason than commuters who travel by car or take the train, a new study from Scotland has found.

“This study strengthens the evidence that active travel has population-level health benefits and may contribute to reduced morbidity and mortality,” UK researchers wrote in their findings, published Tuesday in BMJ Public Health.

The study followed more than 82,000 UK residents – ranging in age from 16 to 74 at baseline – over 18 years. As part of the census, participants reported the mode of transport they used most often to travel. The researchers recorded that information and analyzed their prescription, hospitalization and death records.

“Active” travel was defined as walking or cycling. All other travel methods, such as driving or taking the train, were considered “inactive.”

Those who commuted by bicycle were more likely to be male, young, shift workers, who lived in a city – but did not own a home.

After accounting for factors such as age and pre-existing health conditions, cycling was associated with a 51% lower risk of dying from cancer, a 24% lower risk of being hospitalized for heart disease, and a 20% lower risk of being prescribed medication for mental illness. health problems.

But cyclists were twice as likely as “inactive” commuters to be hospitalized after a road traffic collision.

“Our finding that bicycle commuters have twice the risk of being a road traffic victim compared to inactive commuters reinforces the need for safer cycling infrastructure,” the study authors wrote.

Meanwhile, pedestrian commuters were more likely to be female, young, shift workers who lived in a city and walked short distances to school or work. They are less likely to be highly educated, have high incomes and have young children.

Walking was associated with an 11% lower risk of being hospitalized for any reason and a 7% lower risk of being prescribed mental health medication.

“That cycling and walking are associated with lower risks of being prescribed medication for poor mental health is an important finding,” the researchers wrote.

However, there were limitations to the study – the census responses reflect only one point in time. Plus, the prescription data used in the research only dates back to 2009.

In the US, commuters who biked or walked to work accounted for 2.9% of all workers in 2022, according to Census figures.

That’s a smaller percentage than in 2019 — before the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed travel behavior — but a larger share than in 2021.