A20 The Siketha Ukuba Nempilo (We Choose to be Healthy) Project. Can taking public transport lead to a healthier lifestyle?

Abstract

Abstract Background Globally, growing evidence suggests that transport-related physical activity (PA) can positively contribute to overall physical activity, however limited data is available from Africa. Within South Africa, non-motorised transport, particularly active transport, and the use of public transport has been identified as a national priority, with the development of a national integrated public transport network (IPTN), including the MyCiTi Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System in Cape Town. The purpose of this study is to firstly describe the travel characteristics and differences between BRT-users (cases) and non-BRT users (control group) and to quantify the impact of active commuting on weekly PA. Methods Intercept interviews were conducted with BRT passengers (N=1 023) during the period of April to December 2013. A similar questionnaire was distributed to worksites, included local businesses and schools along the BRT feeder route to non-BRT users (N=450). 1 087 surveys were included in the final analysis (771 BRT-users and 316 non-BRT users). Results Mean age of BRT-users was 33 (10.5) years, and over 50% of the sample were women, who were less likely to use the BRT compared to men (P Conclusions In this study, BRT-users engage in more active commuting (98% vs 24%) than non-BRT users, accumulating significantly more active travel time and total physical activity. In addition, a larger percentage of BRT-users meet the physical activity guidelines compared to non-BRT users using active transport (39% vs 10%) and total PA (77% vs 63%). This study highlights therefore, that this form of public transport can be promoted as a means to increase levels of population-level physical activity in order to prevent the onset of non-communicable diseases.