Effect of urban trips on stress and cognitive performance, a study in Bogotá, Colombia

ConclusionesLos viajes urbanos en bicicleta o en transporte público inducen un efecto comparable tanto en estrés biológico como en desempeño cognitivo. Se conoce que la bicicleta otorga beneficios personales y para la sociedad. Nuestros resultados, adicionalmente muestran que a pesar del esfuerzo físico, la bicicleta no induce un mayor estrés biológico que el transporte público.AbstractIntroductionUrban commuting can be a stressful experience and may impact cognitive function, a key component of overall health. The purpose of this study was to explore whether the cognitive performance of adults is differentially affected by stress resulting from commuting to study by public transportation or by bicycle in Bogotá, Colombia.MethodsWe designed an experiment in which stress and cognitive performance were systematically measured in seven participants, in triplicate, on separate days, before and after a trip by either public transportation or bicycle (total 6 trips). All participants were asked to complete a Stroop test and provide saliva samples before and after the trips. After-versus-before trip differences in salivary cortisol, weighted time-Stroop and percentage of success in the Stroop were compared between modes by a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using mode of transport and participant as fixed factors.ResultsThe mean change in adjusted Stroop time was similar between modes (1,392±8,379 for bicycle, 889 ms ± 6,675 ms for public transport, p = 0.85). T...
Source: Journal of Transport and Health - Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research