Departments of Health Sciences and Environment

Studentship 1: Examining linkages between low emissions travel and low emissions diets

Given growing concerns about climate change and rising rates of chronic disease, there is increasing interest in facilitating behaviours and lifestyles that are beneficial for both human health and the environment. The aim of this research was to understand the linkages between different elements of healthy, low emissions lifestyles, focusing on diet and travel behaviour in the UK population. More specifically, the study investigated whether elements of healthy, low emissions lifestyles cluster together, and whether there may be associations between low emissions travel (e.g. walking, cycling, public transport) and low emissions diets (e.g. low red meat, high fruit and vegetable consumption) in particular population groups.

This research was based around the secondary analysis of two datasets with detailed information on diet and travel behaviour in the UK population. The first, the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), is a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey collecting data from approximately 500 adults (aged 19+) per year. The second dataset, UK Biobank, is a large prospective cohort study of around 500 000 individuals, aged 40-71. Making use of both of these data sources in combination complemented and reinforced their respective gaps (e.g. small numbers, lack of younger age groups) and allowed for robust comparison of findings.

Both travel behaviour and dietary consumption have joint impacts for public health and the environment, however current research and policy initiatives in these areas have largely operated in isolation. Examining the links between these behaviours has the potential to bring together these related but disconnected spheres of research, helping to inform both public health and environmental policy, as well as contributing to our understanding of the drivers underlying healthy, sustainable lifestyles. To our knowledge, this study will be the first to explicitly examine the relationships between these mutually beneficial behaviours, and will thus provide some of the first evidence linking different aspects of low emissions lifestyles that would also have co-benefits for health.

The studentship was held by Michaela Smith who was awarded a PhD in Health Sciences in January 2019. Research outputs from this PhD are as follows:

Smith M.A., Böhnke J.R., Graham H., White, P.C.L. and Prady, S.L. Associations between active travel and diet: cross-sectional evidence on healthy, low-carbon behaviours from UK Biobank. BMJ Open 2019;9:e030741. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/8/e030741
Smith M.A., Böhnke J.R., Graham H., White, P.C.L. and Prady, S.L. Prevalence of travel and dietary behaviours with health and environmental co-benefits: a cross-sectional analysis of UK Biobank. UK Public Health Science Conference, London, 24 November. The Lancet, 390, p.S83., 2017. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673617330180?via%3Dihub
Smith M.A., Böhnke J.R., Graham H., White, P.C.L. and Prady, S.L. OP59 Prevalence and patterning of healthy, low-carbon lifestyles in the UK: a cross-sectional analysis of UK Biobank based on combinations of travel and dietary behaviour. Society for Social Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, Manchester, 7 September. J Epidemiol Community Health 71, A30., 2017. https://jech.bmj.com/content/71/Suppl_1/A30.1
Smith M.A., Böhnke J.R., Graham H., White, P.C.L. and Prady, S.L. Using travel and dietary behaviours to understand healthy, low-carbon lifestyles. UK Biobank Newcastle participant event, 3 July 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geGoHDgWNM4&feature=youtu.be
Smith M.A., Böhnke J.R., Graham H., White, P.C.L. and Prady, S.L. OP24 Associations between active travel and diet: An exploration of pro-health, low carbon behaviours in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Society for Social Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, York, 14 September. J Epidemiol Community Health 70, A18., 2016. https://jech.bmj.com/content/70/Suppl_1/A18.1

Michaela is currently working as a Senior Data Analyst for the Better Outcomes Registry and Network (BORN) Ontario in Canada. She can be contacted at michaela.smith@alumni.york.ac.uk