Research library

Welcome to the insight hub for we can move,

This is our storage space for research, reports, opinion and news for physical activity and the wider system which we've come across.

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active travel (35)

Doctors should prescribe walking to improve mental health, says new report

More GPs should prescribe walking to improve mental health and long-term physical health conditions, says a new report published today (Friday 6 March) by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking.   Source: https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/news-and-blog/press-media/doctors-should-prescribe-walking-to-improve-mental-health-says-new-report (March 2020)

Change a region to change a nation Greater Manchester’s walking and cycling investment plan

The plan would see £1.5bn invested in the Bee Network, 1,800 miles of cycling and walking routes over the region. The goal is to create a model which could be replicated across the country. Source: https://theconversation.com/greater-manchesters-cycling-plan-is-a-radical-much-needed-approach-now-it-needs-funding-131419 (February 2020)

The Health of the Nation strategy for longevity: Longer life 'not a problem to be tackled but a goal to be pursued'

A new report, The Health of the Nation: A Strategy for Healthier Longer Lives, was published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Longevity. It found that women in the UK are living for 29 years in poor health and men for 23 years: an increase of 50% for women and 42% for men on previous estimates based on self-reported data. Source: https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/local-transport-today/news/63446/longer-life-not-a-problem-to-be-tackled-but-a-goal-to-be-pursued-via-healthy

Spatial Planning for Health An evidence resource for planning and designing healthier places

An ever-increasing body of research indicates that the environment in which we live is inextricably linked to our health across the life course. For example, the design of our neighbourhoods can influence physical activity levels, travel patterns, social connectivity, mental and physical health and wellbeing outcomes. However, it is important to recognise that the causal links between built environment and health are often complex, in that they are influenced by numerous, sometimes conflicting,

DfT Cycle City Ambition Programme Interim Report - Extended Summary

Scheme-level surveys indicated that new CCA infrastructure resulted in an increase in physical activity for around half of existing and three-quarters of new cyclists. This was especially beneficial for the latter group, because they were less likely to report that they met physical activity guidelines. Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/851558/Cycle_City_Ambition_Programme_interim_report_extended_summary.pdf (June 2019)

Investing in cycling pays off, but ministers are ignoring the evidence

This week the government announced £5bn over five years for cycling and buses, including 250 miles of cycle routes, which they say will be built to tough new design standards. Although Boris Johnson said on Tuesday in the Commons that just £350m of that would be for cycling, this appeared to be a mistake. The DfT says there will not be any clarification on how much money will go where until the spending review. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2020/feb/12/investing-in-c

Access to public transport and childhood obesity: A systematic review

The lack of access to public transport is generally considered to be a risk factor for childhood obesity by discouraging active transport and thus physical activity. A total of 25 cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies conducted in 10 countries were identified. These observations suggest that an increased level of access to public transport may have a health-promoting effect and hence prevent the development of childhood obesity. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32003139 (J

To what extent do unhealthy behaviour indicators explain the neighbourhood deprivation gradient in overweight among 11-year-old English children?

Active school commuting alone is unlikely to be enough to prevent and reduce the prevalence of overweight/obesity in the most deprived English neighbourhoods. Childhood overweight/obesity-related interventions should focus on promoting participation in a range of health behaviours. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31993476 (February 2020)

The 2019 report of The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: ensuring that the health of a child born today is not defined by a changing climate

Encouraging active travel (particularly cycling) has become increasingly central to transport planning, and growing evidence suggests that bikeway infrastructure, if appropriately designed and implemented, can increase cycling in various settings. A modal shift in transport could also result in reductions in air pollution from tyre, brake, and road surface wear, in addition to a reduction in exhaust-related particulates. Source: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19

Health matters: physical activity - prevention and management of long-term conditions

This edition of Health Matters focuses on the benefit of physical activity for the prevention and management of long-term conditions in adults. Includes summaries of the current guidelines and numerous examples of where this is being put in to practice. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-physical-activity/health-matters-physical-activity-prevention-and-management-of-long-term-conditions (January 2020)