Abstract
Promoting cycling and walking in cities improves individual health and wellbeing and, together with public transport, promotes societal sustainability patterns. Recently, smartphone apps informing and motivating sustainable mobility usage have increased. Current research has applied and investigated these apps; however, none have specifically considered mobility-related health components within mobility apps. The aim of this study is to examine the (potential) role of health-related information provided in mobility apps to influence mobility behavior. Following a systematic literature review of empirical studies applying mobility apps, this paper (1) investigates the studies and mobility apps regarding communicated information, strategies, and effects on mobility behavior and (2) explores how, and to what extent, health and its components are addressed. The reviewed studies focus on environmental information, especially CO2-emissions. Health is represented by physical activity or calories burned. The self-exposure to air pollution, noise, heat, traffic injuries or green spaces is rarely addressed. We propose a conceptual framework based on protection motivation theory to include health in mobility apps for sustainable mobility behavior change. Addressing people’s self-protective motivation could empower mobility app users. It might be a possible trigger for behavior change, leading towards healthy and sustainable mobility and thus, have individual and societal benefits.
Highlights
We examine the following research question: “To what extent and how is the ‘health dimension’ considered in mobility apps applied in mobility behavior change studies?”
Recent studies have built conceptual models to define the interrelationship of health and transport, defined by physical activity, safety and traffic injuries, green space provision, air pollution exposure, noise pollution exposure, extreme weather, and subjective wellbeing [2,3,10,11]
This study, we draw inductively retrieved during the the review process. In this we draw attenattention the informational dimensions the applied mobility tion to thetoinformational dimensions of theofapplied mobility apps.apps. Figure dimensions and their specific informaFigure 33shows showsthe thedefined definedfour fourinformational informational dimensions and their specific infortion given through the mobility apps, which we identified during the review process
Summary
Urban mobility is still strongly relying on motorized transport, causing adverse impacts on people’s health and has well known societal impacts such as climate change [1]. Urban dwellers are exposed to high levels of air pollution and noise, injuries related to traffic crashes, and adverse health impacts due to urban heat islands [2,3]. Recent studies have built conceptual models to define the interrelationship of health and transport, defined by physical activity (including calories burned as part of preventing obesity and prevent cardiovascular diseases), safety and traffic injuries, green space provision, air pollution exposure, noise pollution exposure, extreme weather (e.g., heat), and subjective wellbeing [2,3,10,11]. We argue that addressing these health components can influence people’s mobility behavior, their mode/route choices and have co-benefits for sustainability (Figure 1). Addressing people’s self-interest in health can positively influence sustainability on the societal level
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