Traffic related activity pattern of Chinese adults: a nation-wide population based survey

Nan Jiang; Ling Qi; Beibei Wang; Suzhen Cao; Limin Wang; Bin Zou; Kai Zhang; Ning Qin; Xiaoli Duan

doi:10.1038/s41370-022-00469-y

Traffic related activity pattern of Chinese adults: a nation-wide population based survey

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2023 May;33(3):482-489. doi: 10.1038/s41370-022-00469-y. Epub 2022 Oct 25.

Authors

Nan Jiang¹, Ling Qi¹, Beibei Wang¹, Suzhen Cao¹, Limin Wang², Bin Zou³, Kai Zhang⁴, Ning Qin¹, Xiaoli Duan⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China.
² Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
³ School of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
⁴ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA.
⁵ School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China. jasmine@ustb.edu.cn.

PMID: 36284190
DOI: 10.1038/s41370-022-00469-y

Abstract

Background: Traffic-related air pollutants lead to increased risks of many diseases. Understanding travel patterns and influencing factors are important for mitigating traffic exposures. However, there is a lack of national large-scale research.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the daily travel patterns of Chinese adults and provide basic data for traffic exposure and health risk research.

Methods: We conducted the first nation-wide survey of travel patterns of adults (aged 18 and above) in China during 2011-2012. We conducted a cross-sectional study based on a nationally representative sample of 91, 121 adults from 31 provinces in China. We characterized typical travel patterns by cluster analysis and identified the associated factors of each pattern using multiple logistic regression and generalized linear regression models.

Results: We found 115 typical daily travel patterns of Chinese adults and the top 11 accounted for 94% of the population. The interaction of age, urban and rural areas, income levels, gender, educational levels, city population and temperature affect people's choice of travel patterns. The average travel time of Chinese adults is 45 ± 40 min/day, with the longest travel time by the combination of walking and car (70 min/day). Gender has the largest effect on travel time (B = -8.94, 95% CI: -8.95, -8.93), followed by city GDP (B = -4.23, 95% CI: -4.23, -4.22), urban and rural areas (B = -3.62, 95% CI: -3.63, -3.61), age (B = -2.21, 95% CI: -2.21, -2.2), educational levels (B = -1.53, 95% CI: -1.53, -1.52), city area (B = -1.4, 95% CI: -1.4, -1.39) and temperature (B = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.2, 1.21).

Significance: This study was the first nation-wide study on traffic activity patterns in China, which provides basic data for traffic exposure and health risk research and provides the basis for the state to formulate transportation-related policies.

Keywords: Adults; Traffic-related air pollution; Travel pattern; Travel time.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adult
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / analysis
Cities
Cross-Sectional Studies
East Asian People
Humans
Traffic-Related Pollution* / analysis
Traffic-Related Pollution* / statistics & numerical data
Vehicle Emissions* / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Vehicle Emissions