State: Public Health Indicators

Public health data shows rates of physical activity, and chronic disease related to physical inactivity such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma. Bicycling and walking, particularly when practiced on a regular basis as part of everyday transportation, can help people meet physical activity guidelines, reduce the likelihood of chronic diseases, and improve health every time a person chooses to bike or walk. On this page you’ll find the following charts and tables:

• Relationship Between Active Commuting & Aerobic Physical Activity
• Physical Activity & Active Commuting
• Spending on Biking and Walking, and Physical Activity Outcomes
• Obesity & Active Commuting
• Diabetes & Active Commuting
• High Blood Pressure & Active Commuting
• Asthma & Active Commuting

Relationship Between Active Commuting & Aerobic Physical Activity

States with higher levels of bicycling and walking to work also see higher levels of their populations getting 150 minutes or more of aerobic physical activity per week. In fact, many of the states that show higher than average rates of physical activity are also states with higher than average rates of active commuting.

However, it is important to note that state-level associations between levels of bicycling and walking to work and health variables do not for account individual-level data and may not represent a causal relation.

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There is a positive association between the proportion of individuals in a state who meet physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity (≥150 minutes per week of at least moderate-intensity activity) and both biking to work and walking to work.

The association with the percentage of that State’s commuters who bike to work is moderate (R=0.69). Walking to work has a weaker relationship (R=0.49).

Disclaimer: State-level associations between commute mode share and health variables do not consider individual-level data and may not represent a causal relation.

Physical Activity & Active Commuting

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*New Jersey did not have published data for 2019, 2017 data displayed

Spending on Biking and Walking, and Physical Activity Outcomes

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Obesity & Active Commuting

States with higher levels  of walking or biking to work see lower rates of obesity in their populations. Both relationships are of moderate strength (R= -0.52 and R= -0.64 respectively).

Louisiana and Oregon were only states to see a decrease in the obesity rate from 2015 to 2019, with their obesity rates falling 0.8% and 3.5%, respectively. All other states continue to see increases in obesity prevalence, though increases tend to be smaller in states with higher levels of active commuting.

*New Jersey did not have published data for 2019, 2018 data displayed

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Diabetes & Active Commuting

Like with obesity prevalence, there is a moderate, inverse association between the rates of diabetes in a state’s population and the rates of active commuting (R=-0.61 and -0.68 for walking and biking, respectively).

Between 2015 and 2019 there were 8 states that reduced the percentage of their population that has diabetes.

*New Jersey did not have published data for 2019, 2017 data displayed

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High Blood Pressure & Active Commuting

There is an inverse association between the rate of high blood pressure in a state and the proportion of workers who either bike to work (R=-0.59) or walk to work (R=-0.44).

*New Jersey did not have published data for 2019, 2017 data displayed

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Asthma & Active Commuting

There is no significant relationship between whether or not a state has a high level of asthma and the rate at which commuters in a state bicycle or walk to work. Asthma is associated with vehicle emissions. Worldwide combustion-related nitrous oxide emissions have been linked to nearly 2 million cases of childhood asthma per year [sub id = 39].

*New Jersey did not have published data for 2019, 2018 data displayed

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