A102 NIHR funded research on transport and health

Abstract

Abstract Background The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), through the NIHR Public Health Research Programme, funds research intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health. The research serves a variety of key stakeholders including: decision-makers in local government, other local public services and the public. The scope of research funded is multi-disciplinary and broad, covering a wide range of interventions that improve health, including those related to transport. The NIHR has issues several calls for research in this area, this presentation will describe some of the research projects funded, their aims and results. Methods The scope of research projects funded includes investigations of how active and safe travel affects health, and interventions which could be prioritised by local authorities. Examples include: the health effects of a new urban motorway; public transport schemes such as new a busway in Cambridge, and evaluating the impact of introducing free bus travel for young people in London; walking and cycling including cycling infrastructure for reducing cycling injuries in cyclists; active travel and the environment. The methods employed by these studies include: evaluations of natural experiments, randomised controlled trials, and systematic reviews of evidence. Some of the studies have reported others are still in progress. Results Examples of results from some of the studies include: the free bus travel scheme for young people appears to have encouraged their greater use of bus transport for short trips without significant impact on their overall active travel. The scheme also had positive effects on social inclusion. Qualitative data regarding a new guided busway in Cambridge highlighted the varied ways in which people learn to use new public transport and integrate it into their everyday lives. This has implications for the introduction and uptake of other new public transport systems and the effects on physical activity and public health. Conclusions The research studies funded by the NIHR related to transport and health are varied and wide in scope; they have implications for population health both now and in the future.