Is the popularity of social networking services beneficial for public health? Focusing on active travel and BMI

In this study, we examine how the frequency of SNS use is associated with active travel (i.e., walking and cycling) and body mass index (BMI) in the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Planning area, Scotland. We employ both a self-reported measure of active travel from a travel diary (N = 1684) and an objective measure of average walking hours from Global Positioning System (GPS) data (N = 282) collected in 2015. These are analysed with statistical models (i.e., binomial logistic regression, multinomial logistic regression and linear regression models). We find that there is no significant association between the frequency of SNS use and our subjective measure of active travel, while people who intensively use SNS are more likely to be obese than non-users. However, analyses with an objective measure of average walking hours (GPS) show that people who intensively use SNS spend less time walking and tend to be obese, calling for further analyses.
Source: Journal of Transport and Health - Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research