Transport, physical activity and health

Principal investigator: Professor Roger Mackett

Lead institution: University College London

Funded directly by the Department for Transport, this 12 month study includes collaborators in the fields of physical activity and the built environment from eight academic institutions. The purpose of this exercise is to consider ways to address the research issues raised in the recent report by NICE on ways of modifying the environment to increase physical activity and to address some specific research questions raised by the Department for Transport in the field of transport and physical activity. This involves examination of the impact that changes to the physical environment, including transport and urban planning, have on physical activity levels; and consideration of the development of theoretical frameworks for evaluating the economic benefits of environmental change to encourage physical activity. These need to be consistent both with methods used in the health field and those used outside it, such as cost-benefit analysis. The study is also concerned to identify gaps in the evidence relevant to transport, and to develop research projects for funding through UKTRC or elsewhere.