The COVID-19 pandemic and related behavior changes, from lockdown to distancing, have changed how people travel, exercise, spend their time, and their overall health and wellbeing. Through this study we want to understand how COVID-19 has changed the way people travel and use their time, as well as how it has affected the burden of travel-related injuries, which are a leading cause of death in Africa and worldwide.

Research objectives

General objective

The overall objective of this survey is to address the following primary research question:

  • What are the travel behaviour patterns, attitudinal changes in travel behaviour and barriers to active travel behaviour in residents of Kisumu and Yaounde during the COVID-19 pandemic?

And the following secondary research questions:

  • What is the burden of road traffic accidents and injuries in these communities and how do these relate to travel modes and travel patterns?
  • How much non-travel physical activity do people engage in during the lockdown?

Specific objectives

  • To estimate the time spent in specific travel modes and total travel time in residents of Kisumu and Yaounde
  • To compare current travel behaviour to projections
  • To estimate attitudinal changes in travel behaviour due to COVID-19
  • To identify barriers to active travel behaviour
  • To estimate time spent in the following health-related behaviours: sleep, leisure physical activity, leisure
    sedentary screen time, paid and unpaid work.

Methods

This study will aim to undertake a cross sectional household telephone survey using a time use diary.

A time use diary typically uses a 24-hour diary segmented into time slots to capture the time people spend on different activities including travel activities, as well as the modes used for travelling. An extension of this approach will allow us to further capture information on attitudinal changes in travel behaviour as well as road traffic injuries.

People

Study leads / key contacts:

Study team:

  • Charles Lwanga (KEMRI, Kenya)
  • Charles Obonyo (KEMRI, Kenya)
  • Rosemary Musuva (KEMRI, Kenya)
  • Jean Claude Mbanya (University of Yaoundé Cameroon)
  • Yves Wasnyo (University of Yaoundé Cameroon)
  • Lou Foley (Cambridge, UK)
  • Ebele Mogo (Cambridge, UK)
  • Tolu Oni (Cambridge, UK)
  • Lambed Tatah (Cambridge, UK)
  • James Woodcock (Cambridge, UK)