Assess the Equity Impacts of Different Transportation Modes using Access to Health Facilities for Asthma Patients as an Indicator
Date
2024-12-20
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Asthma, a chronic respiratory condition affecting 10\% of Canada’s population in 2021, underscores the critical need for equitable and timely access to health facilities, particularly during emergencies. Transportation systems are vital for enabling access to these services; however, socioeconomic disparities and transportation limitations often restrict access for vulnerable populations. This thesis examines how transportation modes influence equitable access to health facilities for pediatric asthma patients, using Calgary as a case study. It explores a framework to improve transportation equity across traffic analysis zones to better serve disadvantaged groups. Two methods were employed to measure accessibility: the reachability-based method and the two-step floating catchment area method. Accessibility indexes were calculated for Calgary’s traffic analysis zones across three transportation modes—personal vehicles, public transit, and taxis—considering five-time slots during the day for emergency and non-emergency scenarios. Different travel thresholds and budgets were analyzed to identify inequities across zones. Equity was evaluated using horizontal and vertical equity techniques. Horizontal equity was assessed through the Gini coefficient, while vertical equity considered socioeconomic factors, pediatric asthma patients, and accessibility indexes to prioritize zones needing improved access to health facilities. The findings show that personal vehicles provide the highest access to health facilities across most time slots and travel budgets, making them the primary mode for accessing health facilities, especially in emergencies. Taxis are unaffordable at low budgets, while public transit often fails to offer sufficient accessibility during emergencies, particularly at night when available health facilities are limited. In non-emergency scenarios, taxis offer comparable accessibility at higher budgets. Vertical equity analysis highlighted zones with significant socioeconomic vulnerability and high asthma rates but low access as priorities for action. This research emphasizes the importance of incorporating equity into transportation planning to enhance public health outcomes. Policymakers should adopt a framework to prioritize underserved zones with greater accessibility needs while addressing both horizontal and vertical inequities. Future studies should address limitations by including weekend data and health facility capacity to provide a more comprehensive analysis of accessibility needs and their equity impacts.
Description
Keywords
accessibility, equity, pediatric asthma, health facility, transportation
Citation
Minuyee, M. (2024). Assess the equity impacts of different transportation modes using access to health facilities for asthma patients as an indicator (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.