Comparing private and public transport access to diabetic health services across inner middle and outer suburbs of Melbourne Australia

摘要

BackgroundMelbourne, Australia is experiencing rapid population growth, with much of this occurring in metropolitan outer suburban areas, also known as urban growth areas. Currently little is known about differences in travel times when using private and public transport to access primary and secondary services across Melbourne’s urban growth areas. Plan Melbourne Refresh, a recent strategic land use document has called for a 20 min city, which is where essential services including primary health care, can be accessed within a 20 min journey. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major chronic condition in Australia, with some of Melbourne’s growth areas having some of the highest prevalence across Australia. This study explores travel times to diabetic health care services for populations residing in inner, middle and outer suburbs of metropolitan Melbourne.