Travelling farther away from home linked to better health

People who travel more outside of their local area feel that they are healthier than those who stay closer to home, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. How often people travel and the range of places visited are important, with those who regularly travel more than 15 miles away from home more likely to report being in general good health. Those who travel to a wider variety of places are more likely to see friends and family. This increase in social participation is then linked to better health. Researchers say the results provide strong evidence of the need for investment in medium and long-distance transport options, such as better serviced roads and access to trains and buses. For the paper, published in Transport & Health , the researchers analysed travel in the north of England, where residents face worse health outcomes than the rest of England and many rural and suburban areas suffer from poor transport accessibility. Specifically, they looked at the links between perceived constraints to travel outside of the local area, such as a lack of suitable public transport, and self-rated health, considering trip frequency, the number of different places visited, distance travelled, car use and public transport use.