Health perception and commuting choice: a survey experiment measuring behavioral trade-offs between physical activity benefits and pollution exposure risks

Yichun Fan,Siqi Zheng,Juan Palacios,Rachel Luo,Mariana Arcaya

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/abecfd

Abstract

Previous literature suggests that active commuting has substantial health benefits. Yet, in polluted regions, it can also cause additional health risks by increasing riders’ pollution exposure and raising their inhalation rate. We examine the effect of perceived air pollution on stated commuting choices using an on-site survey experiment for 2285 non-automobile commuters in Zhengzhou, a heavily polluted city in central China. We integrate a sequential randomized controlled trial in a survey where individuals in the treatment group received tailored information on their commuting-related pollution exposure, based on our 2 week peak-hour pollution monitoring campaign across transportation modes in the city. We find that travelers in Zhengzhou have already adopted pollution prevention actions by favoring indoor commuting modes on polluted days. Individuals receiving personalized pollution exposure information by mode further decrease active commuting by 8.4 percentage points (95% CI: 5.1, 11.6), accompanied by a 14.7 percentage points (95% CI: 10.7, 18.3) increase in automobile commuting. Travellers make sub-optimal, overly risk averse choices by reducing active commuting even for trips where epidemiological research suggests the exercise benefits outweigh pollution exposure risks. This pollution avoidance tendency significantly attenuates the effect of policies encouraging active commuting. Our findings show the intricately intertwined relationships between the public health targets of promoting active lifestyles and reducing pollution exposure, and between individual pollution avoidance and societal pollution mitigation.

Highlights

81% of the adolescent population and 23% of adults are insufficiently physically active (WHO 2018)
We examine three primary research questions: first, to what extent do health concerns about pollution exposure affect commuting mode choices? Second, how well do respondents trade off the health benefits of exercise against pollution exposure risks when compared with scientific evidence? Third, what are the corresponding implications for public health and sustainable transport policies which encouraging active commuting? This paper adds to the previous empirical studies by modelling how active commuting responds to air pollution; how such responses differ for people with different commuting distance considering the counteracting health forces; and sheds light on the negative impacts heavy air pollution would impose on public health and environment by reducing physical activity and increasing automobile dependency
After we presented to them their personal pollution exposure information, we see a further reduction in respondents choosing active commuting and a large increase in automobile use

Summary

Introduction

81% of the adolescent population and 23% of adults are insufficiently physically active (WHO 2018). Commuting offers an ideal setting to promote an active lifestyle since it substantially increases physical activity level (Donaire-Gonzalez et al 2015) and facilitate habit formation by integrating exercises into the daily routine (Götschi et al 2016). Both observational studies (Flint et al 2014, Flint and Cummins 2016) and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (Møller et al 2011, Quist et al 2018) have demonstrated the effectiveness of active commuting (i.e. walking and biking) on promoting desirable health outcomes (de Nazelle et al 2011)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion