Project

COMMUTE - Healthy, safe, and climate-friendly commuting

Globally, physical inactivity is among the key risk factors for non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes and it is a major public health concern in Finland as well. In Finland, about 50 percent of adult population do not meet the global recommendations of physical activity (minimum of 150 minutes per week).

Commuting to and from work is a daily routine for many working aged adults and thus, promotion of using active commute modes such as walking and cycling instead of passive ones such as private car is a feasible way to contribute to the total physical activity. Moreover, promoting active commuting supports the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from traffic.

Timetable

1/2023–3/2025

Objectives

The general aim of the research is to explore whether commute mode choice is associated with health and wellbeing among Finnish public sector employees. The specific aims are:

to determine the factors predicting different commute mode choices
to determine the extent to which commute mode choice (active vs. passive modes) is associated with health and work ability
to study how changing the mode of commuting from passive to active or vice versa is associated with health, wellbeing and work ability
to determine the risk of sickness absence and commuting injury by mode of commuting
to evaluate the net impact of active and passive commuting
to determine how commute mode choices changed from 2020 to 2022 (i.e., during the COVID-19 pandemic)