The uneven impacts of avoiding public transit on riders’ access to healthcare during COVID-19

ABSTRACT:

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many urban residents stopped riding public transit despite their reliance on it to reach essential services like healthcare. Few studies have examined the implications of public transit reliance on riders’ ability to reach healthcare when transit is disrupted. To understand how shocks to transportation systems impact healthcare access, this study measures the impact of avoiding public transit on the ability of riders to access healthcare and pharmacy services during lockdowns.

Methods

We deployed a cross-sectional survey of residents of Toronto and Vancouver in May 2020 through Facebook advertisements and community list-serves. Eligibility criteria included riding transit at least weekly prior to the pandemic and subsequent cessati

SUBMITTER: Palm M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9765222 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature