Daily Green Exposure, Mobility, and Health: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Mounting evidence suggests urban greenery promotes physical activity and human health. However, scholars have differing views on defining or measuring the terms related to green mobility behavior (MB). Therefore, evaluating how green MB impacts health is challenging. After an initial review of the literature on mobility, greenness, and health, we proposed “daily greenness exposure” (DGE) to define people’s exposure to natural/green settings. This approach lets us review and compare general and emerging measures of greenery exposure and differentiate study outcomes in MB and health. We identified 20 relevant Web of Science Core Collection studies during a scoping review completed in November 2021. Three types of DGE assessments were observed: ecological momentary, effect, and spatiotemporal. Four relationships were noted between DGE, MB, and health: moderation, mediation, independence, and undifferentiated. Incorporating these assessments and DGE modeling relationships contributes to better analysis and communication of environmental factors promoting health to environmental designers and policymakers.