Benefits, risks, barriers, and facilitators to cycling: a narrative review

Logan, G. , Somers, C., Baker, G., Connell, H., Gray, S. , Kelly, P., McIntosh, E. , Welsh, P. , Gray, C. and Gill, J. M. (2023) Benefits, risks, barriers, and facilitators to cycling: a narrative review. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 5, 1168357. (doi: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1168357) (PMID:37795314) (PMCID:PMC10546027)

Abstract

There is large potential to increase cycling participation worldwide. Participation in cycling is associated with lower risk of mortality from any cause, and incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as positive mental health and well-being. The largest potential for health gains likely to come from increasing participation amongst those who do not currently cycle regularly, rather than encouraging those who already cycle regularly to cycle more. Replacing car journeys with cycling can lead to reductions in air pollution emissions and lower pollutant exposure to the general population. Important gaps and uncertainties in the existing evidence base include: the extent to which the health benefits associated with cycling participation are fully causal due to the observational nature of much of the existing evidence base; the real-world economic cost-benefits of pragmatic interventions to increase cycling participation; and the most effective (combination of) approaches to increase cycling participation. To address these uncertainties, large-scale, long-term randomised controlled trials are needed to: evaluate the effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness, of (combinations of) intervention approaches to induce sustained long-term increases in cycling participation in terms of increases in numbers of people cycling regularly and number of cycling journeys undertaken, across a range of population demographic groups; establish the effects of such interventions on relevant outcomes related to health and wellbeing, economic productivity and wider societal impacts; and provide more robust quantification of potential harms of increasing cycling participation, such as collision risks.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Gray, Professor Cindy and Gray, Professor Stuart and Gill, Professor Jason and Logan, Dr Greig and Welsh, Professor Paul and Connell, Dr Hayley and Somers, Dr Camilla and McIntosh, Professor Emma
• Authors: Logan, G., Somers, C., Baker, G., Connell, H., Gray, S., Kelly, P., McIntosh, E., Welsh, P., Gray, C., and Gill, J. M.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Public Health; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing; College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Sociology Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences
• Journal Name: Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
• Publisher: Frontiers Media
• ISSN: 2624-9367
• ISSN (Online): 2624-9367
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 Logan, Somers, Baker, Connell, Gray, Kelly, McIntosh, Welsh, Gray and Gill.
• First Published: First published in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 5:1168357
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license