Commuting time to work and behaviour-related health: a fixed-effect analysis

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Long commuting times are associated with adverse health outcomes, but evidence often relies on cross-sectional data.
• Understanding the longitudinal impact of commuting on health behaviors is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the within-individual associations between commuting time and health behaviors over time.
• To investigate how working hours modify the relationship between commuting and health.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal data from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (2008-2018) were used.
• Fixed-effects logistic regression analyzed associations between commuting time (1-5, 6-10, 11-15, ≥15 hours/week) and health outcomes (BMI, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, sleep) in 20,376 individuals.
• Analyses were stratified by normal (30-40 hours/week) and longer (>40 hours/week) working hours.

Main Results:

• Individuals working >40 hours/week had increased odds of physical inactivity (OR 1.25) and sleep problems (OR 1.16) with commutes >5 hours/week compared to 1-5 hours/week.
• Among women with normal working hours, longer commuting was linked to reduced odds of problem drinking.

Conclusions:

• Lengthy commuting exacerbates risks of physical inactivity and sleep problems, particularly for individuals with longer working hours.
• Further research should explore work arrangements that reduce commuting time to improve health behaviors.