Promoting active transport through health information: evidence from a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

The negative health impacts of passive transport can be substantial both from the individual point of view and with respect to public spending on health. We run a field experiment to study the effectiveness of information in encouraging active transport choices. The treatment is carried out using a smartphone application that automatically tracks users’ daily transport choices. We find that the treatment group receives and internalizes the information, but we do not find a statistically significant effect on their travel behavior.