The research, published in the Journal of Transport & Health, found that there was a difference in overall health of those who travel and those who do not.
Individuals who were limited to get out of their hometown, or even had limited exposure to traveling than they preferred, had inferior health.
The research team set traveling as getting outside at least 15 miles away from one’s local region. They gathered 2,747 individuals from the North of England and studied their overall health and relationship with traveling.
During the research, participants were given five questions regarding traveling:
1. "I travel beyond my local area less often than I would ideally like to"
2. "I travel to fewer places (e.g., cities or towns outside my local area) than I would ideally like to"
3. "I travel to places that are nearer than the ones I would ideally like to go"
4. "I travel by public transport to places I would ideally like to go by car"
5. "I travel by car to places I would ideally like to go by public transport"
They were then asked to answer these five questions from a scale of one to five.
From the survey, researchers found that those who had the luxury to travel outside of their local region, meaning at least 15 miles from home, and those who did it often, overall reported having better health.
The correlation between traveling and health became stronger in those aged 55 years or older. Dr. Paulo Anciaes, the lead author of the study, said prior research confirmed how travel can benefit individuals due to an increase in more opportunities, such as career benefits or educational advantages.
Anciaes and his team claimed those who had limited traveling opportunities had poorer health, due to a lack of social interaction and ability to explore.
Habitual travel wasn’t directly related to one’s health, but more associated with not having the opportunity to participate in social interactions. Social interaction was directly linked with one’s overall health and satisfaction.
News ID : 1709