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Details

Research article
Authors

Frank LD, Kuntz JL, Chapman JE, Fox EH, Dickerson JF, Meenan RT, Saelens BE, Young DR, Boone-Heinonen J, Fortmann SP

Journal

BMC Public Health

Summary
The Rails & Health study is an ongoing research study that will provide information that documents how a new transportation option can alter PA, health, and health care costs over time. The study is prospectively following 3036 adults exposed to the new light rail transit (LRT) line in Portland, Oregon and a similar cohort of 4386 adults who do not live close to the new line. The authors collect Individual-level outcomes and covariates from the electronic medical records at Kaiser Permanente Northwest and from interviews. The Rails & Health study will provide urban planners, transportation engineers, health practitioners, developers, and decision makers with critical information needed to document how transit investments impact population health and related costs.
Population

Not available

Health Outcomes

  • Chronic disease indicators, obesity

Health Outcome List:

  • Not available

Environmental Agents

List of Environmental Agents:

  • Not available

Source of Environmental Agents:

  • Not available

Economic Evaluation / Methods and Source

Type:

  • Cost-benefit analysis (CBA)

Cost Measures:

  • Effects of opening a new LRT line on health care costs

Potential Cost Measures:

  • Not available

Benefits Measures:

  • Provide urban planners, transportation engineers, health practitioners, developers, and decision makers with critical information needed to document how transit investments impact population health and related costs

Potential Benefits Measures:

  • Not available

Location:

  • Portland, Oregand

Models Used:

  • Structural Equation Modeling
  • Standardized Medical Care Costing Model
  • Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Landscape (MAPS)

Models References:

  • Reference cited in publication - MAPS (Millstein RA et al., 2013)

Methods Used:

  • This is an ongoing study that uses data from Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW) members medical records following the opening of a new light rail transit (LRT) line in Portland, Oregon. Individual-level outcomes and covariates are extracted from the electronic medical record at KPNW, including member demographics and comorbidities, blood pressure, body mass index, lipids, glycosylated hemoglobin, and health care utilization and costs. In addition, participants are surveyed about additional demographics, travel patterns, physical activity (PA), and perceived neighborhood walkability. The authors will use statistical analyses to examine the effects of opening a new LRT line on chronic disease indicators, health care utilization, and health care costs and to evaluate the degree to which observed effects of the LRT line on health measures and costs are mediated by changes in total and transportation-associated PA.

Sources Used:

  • Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW) (Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 2009); General Transit Feed Specification Data Exchange (http://transitfeeds.com); Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Landscape (MAPS) (Cain et al., 2018); Additional sources cited in the publication.

Economic Citation / Fundings

Citation:

  • Frank LD, Kuntz JL, Chapman JE, Fox EH, Dickerson JF, Meenan RT, Saelens BE, Young DR, Boone-Heinonen J, Fortmann SP. The Health and Economic Effects of Light Rail Lines: Design, Methods, and Protocol for a Natural Experiment. BMC Public Health. 2019. 19; 1.
  • Pubmed
  • DOI

NIEHS Funding:

  • Not available

Other Funding:

  • R01DK103385