Health indicators, mode choice, and trip time-cost trade-offs: Evidence from out-patient trips to health care facilities

Abstract

This paper analyzes whether health indicators affect the values that out-patient trip-makers place upon their travel times. Data for the analysis is a biennial longitudinal sample from 2011 to 2015, comprising individuals in China 45 years of age and older. For nineteen health factors that characterize health behaviors, disease events, physical mobility, and mental health, the analysis estimates baseline mode-choice models and separate models for respondents with and without a negative health factor present. The study documents increasing trends in travel time sensitivities and values of travel time, and finds that health status affects travel time sensitivities and values of travel time. Problems with physical mobility lower out-patient trip makers' values of travel time, whereas health factors related to non-physical mobility conditions tend to raise values of travel time. The study includes robustness tests and a discussion of endogeneity. The study's findings have implications for older population mode choices, transport and health infrastructure projects focused on providing more access, and for cost-benefit analyses whose benefits include value of travel time savings.