Physical Activity, Carbon Dioxide Emission and Cost of Transport: A Case Study of Three Communities in Thailand
Keywords:
physical activity, carbon dioxide, cost, transport, communityAbstract
Walking and cycling are common physical activities if performed regularly in daily life will return health, environmental and economic benefits. This study aimed to 1) assess built environments that encourage walking and cycling in communities, 2) assess levels of physical activity and energy consumption, and 3) investigate the amount of carbon dioxide emission and cost of transport. Quantitative method was employed. Data collection techniques comprised direct observation and questionnaire survey in three communities: 1) King Taksin community in Bang Khla district, Chachoengsao province, 2) Suksabaijai community in Mueang Kalasin district, Kalasin province, and 3) Ban Thatsopwaen community in Chiang Kham district, Phayao province. The results showed that King Taksin community had the highest scores on walking, cycling and use of public transport as the community center was close to the district shopping center with a well-managed public transport system. Samples from King Taksin and Ban Thatsopwaen communities had the highest levels of physical activity due to frequent walking and cycling in their daily life. Suksabaijai community had the highest level of carbon dioxide emission from motorcycles and cars, and the highest transport cost as the community center was far from the shopping center with its built environments of having a high-speed road passing through the community center hence discouraged walking and cycling. This study recommends that all agencies promoting physical activity should work with local community in designing built environments and evaluating effectiveness of walking and cycling promotion programs that fit with each community.
References
Lee IM, Shiroma EJ, Lobelo F, Puska, P, Blair, SN, Katzmarzyk, PT. Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy. Lancet. 2012;380(9838):219-229. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61031-9.
World Health Organization. Global health risks: mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2009.
World Health Organization. Global health observatory data: prevalence of insufficient physical activity [internet]. 2016 [accessed 2019 Oct 7]. Available from: https://www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk_factors/physical_activity_text/en/.
Ketwongsa P. National physical activity survey 2011-2016. Foundation THP, trans. Nakornpathom: Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University; 2016. (in Thai)
Gerike R, de Nazelle A, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Panis LI, Anaya E, Avila-Palencia I. Physical activity through Sustainable Transport Approaches (PASTA): a study protocol for a multicentre project. BMJ Open. 2016;6(1):e009924. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009924.
Koszowski C, Gerike R, Hubrich S, Götschi T, Pohle M, Wittwer R. Active mobility: bringing together transport planning, urban planning, and public health: challenges, solutions and collaborations. In: Beate Müller, Gereon Meyer, eds. Towards user-centric transport in Europe: challenges, solutions and collaborations. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2019. p 149-171.
Sahlqvist S, Song Y, Ogilvie D. Is active travel associated with greater physical activity? The contribution of commuting and non-commuting active travel to total physical activity in adults. Prev Med. 2012;55(3):206-211. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2012.06.028
Topothai T, Topothai C, Phonguttha S, Suriyawongpaisarn W, Chandrasiri O, Thammarangsi T. The daily energy expenditure of 4 domains of physical activity of Thai adults. Journal of Health Systems Research. 2015;9(2):168-80. (in Thai)
Topothai T, Liangruenrom N, Topothai C, Suriyawongpaisan W, Limwattananon S, Limwattananon C. How much of energy expenditure from physical activity and sedentary behavior of Thai adults: The 2015 national health and welfare survey. Health Systems Research. 2017;11(3):327-44. (in Thai)
Woodcock J, Edwards P, Tonne C, Armstrong BG, Ashiru O, Banister D. Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: urban land transport. Lancet. 2009;374(9705):1930-1943. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61714-1.
Bopp M, Sims D, Piatkowski D. Bicycling for transportation. United States: Elsevier Science Publishing Co Inc; 2018.
Cole R, Dunn P, Hunter I, Owen N, Sugiyama T. Walk score and Australian adults’ home-based walking for transport. Health Place. 2015;35:60-65. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.06.011.
Duncan DT, Aldstadt J, Whalen J, Melly SJ, Gortmaker SL. Validation of walk score for estimating neighborhood walkability: an analysis of four US metropolitan areas. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011;8(11):4160-4179. doi:10.3390/ijerph8114160.
Meline J, Chaix B, Pannier B, Ogedegbe G, Trasande L, Athens J. Neighborhood walk score and selected Cardiometabolic factors in the French RECORD cohort study. BMC Public Health. 2017;17(1):960. doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4962-8.
Redfin company. Walk score methodology [internet]. 2020 [accessed 2020 Jun 22]. Available from: https://www.walk-score.com/methodology.shtml.
Ross C. Brownson, Laura K. Brennan Ramirez, Christine M. Hoehner, Rebeka A. Cook. Checklist audit tool [internet]. 2003 [accessed 2019 Oct 16]. Available from: https://activelivingresearch.org/sites/activelivingresearch.org/files/audit_tool_checklist.pdf.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2006 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories. Kanagawa: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES); 2008.
Thailand Walking and Cycling Institute Foundation. The 7th Thailand Bike and Walk Forum 2019: Think Globally, Bike-Walk Locally. Bangkok: Thailand Walking and Cycling Institute Foundation; 2019. (in Thai)
Bangkhla Subdistrict Municipality. Community development plan (2018-2022). Bang Khla: Bang Khla Subdistrict Municipality; 2018. (in Thai)
Chiang Kham Subdistrict Municipality. Community action plan 2020. Chiang Kham: Chiang Kham Subdistrict Municipality; 2019. (in Thai)
Kalasin City Municipality. Community development plan (2018-2022). Kalasin: Kalasin City Municipality; 2018. (in Thai)
Kaewkungwal J, Singhasivanon P. Sample size calculation in clinical research. In: Pannee Pitisuthitham, Chayan Pichiensunthorn, eds. Textbook of clinical research. Bangkok: Tropical Medicine Faculty, Mahidol University; 2011. p 107-143. (in Thai)
Division of Physical Activity and Health, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health. Thailand Physical Activity Strategy 2018-2030. Bangkok: NC Concept; 2018. (in Thai)
World Health Organization. Global recommendations on physical activity for health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010.
Gotschi T, de Nazelle A, Brand C, Gerike R, Consortium P. Towards a comprehensive conceptual framework of active travel behavior: a review and synthesis of published frameworks. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2017;4(3):286-95. doi:10.1007/s40572-017-0149-9.
Hooper P, Foster S, Bull F, Knuiman M, Christian H, Timperio A. Living liveable? RESIDE’s evaluation of the “Liveable Neighborhoods” planning policy on the health supportive behaviors and wellbeing of residents in Perth, Western Australia. SSM Popul Health. 2020;10:100538. doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2020.100538.
Lindsay G, Sallis JF, Cerin E, Kerr J, Adams MA, Sugiyama T. Built environment, physical activity, and obesity: findings from the International Physical Activity and Environment Network (IPEN) Adult Study. Annu Rev Public Health. 2020;41:119-39. doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040218-043657.
Christiansen, L. B.acmillan A, Woodward A. Moving urban trips from cars to bicycles: impact on health and emissions. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2011;35(1):54-60. doi:10.1111/j.1753-6405.2010.00621.x.
Mizdrak A, Blakely T, Cleghorn CL, Cobiac LJ. Potential of active transport to improve health, reduce healthcare costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions: a modelling study. PLoS One. 2019;14(7):e0219316. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219316.
Rojas-Rueda D. Health impact assessment of active transportation. In: M. Nieuwenhuijsen, Khreis H, eds. Integrating human health into urban and transport planning. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2019:625-40.
Zapata-Diomedi B, Knibbs LD, Ware RS, Heesch KC, Tainio M, Woodcock J. A shift from motorised travel to active transport: What are the potential health gains for an Australian city? PLoS One. 2017;12(10):e0184799. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0184799.
Gotschi T, Tainio M, Maizlish N, Schwanen T, Goodman A, Woodcock J. Contrasts in active transport behaviour across four countries: how do they translate into public health benefits? Prev Med. 2015;74:42-48. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.02.009.
Hess G, Peterson MN. “Bicycles May Use Full Lane” Signage Communicates U.S. Roadway Rules and increases perception of safety. PLoS One. 2015;10(8):e0136973. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0136973.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Journal of Health Systems Research is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license, unless otherwise stated.
