Bielefeld School of Public Health
AG 8: Demography and Health
Linked Lives: Consequences of Long Commuting for the Health of All Family Members (COMFAM)
Short summary
Commuting to work by car or public transportation is inevitable for many. However, long commutes negatively impact partnership stability and family size. A thorough investigation is needed to understand what commuting means for the health of all family members. The ERC-funded COMFAM project aims to investigate the impact of long commutes on commuters’, their partners’ and their children's health and well-being. Moreover, it will examine changes in commuting during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and analyze whether the health effects of long commutes differ across population subgroups. COMFAM will utilize data from Nordic registers, and surveys from Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. The findings are expected to have significant implications for public health, social well-being, and the economy.