Workers who commute by car, bus or train to the office are more likely to suffer from stress and exhaustion, according to a study.

Scientists assessed 12,000 employees aged between 18 and 65.

They found that those who travelled to work by car or public transport reported higher levels of stress and tiredness compared to active commuters who travelled by foot or bicycle.

It is now expected that the study, from Lund Unversity in Sweden, will encourage further investigation into the health impacts of commuting and the best forms of transportation.

Researcher Erik Hansson said: 'Generally car and public transport users suffered more everyday stress, poorer sleep quality, exhaustion and, on a seven point scale, felt that they struggled with their health compared to the active commuters.

'The negative health of public transport users increased with journey time.'

According to the Office for National Statistics, the average Briton commutes for 54 minutes every day.

But now the scientists claim that the advantages of daily travel, such as higher pay or housing conditions, need to be weighed against the adverse health effects.

It may also have a cost impact on industry.

According to a CBI and Pfizer Absence and Workplace Health Survey, the UK economy lost 190million working days to absence last year, with each employee taking an average of 6.5 days off sick, costing employers ￡17billion.

However researchers highlight that the findings, published in the journal BMC Public Health, do not prove that commuting causes ill health and further research is needed.

Income, family background and environmental factors are other variables that need to be considered.

Hansson added that the findings would help to 'readdress the balance between economic needs, health, and the costs of working days lost'.

(Read by Emily Cheng. Emily Cheng is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)