Slow mobility & medicine: A critical review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Environmental Science
• Transportation Studies

Background:

• Growing global initiatives promote sustainable transport and people-oriented systems.
• Slow mobility modes (walking, cycling, micromobility) are central to these shifts.
• Understanding their health and environmental impacts is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review the health and environmental impacts of slow mobility.
• To identify key risks and benefits associated with these transport modes.
• To analyze the scope and geographical distribution of existing research.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
• Content analysis of 458 selected papers.
• Co-occurrence network analysis to examine common features and relationships.

Main Results:

• Traffic crashes identified as the primary risk.
• Enhanced physical/mental health and increased accessibility are key benefits.
• Research predominantly focuses on the general population, with limited attention to vulnerable groups.
• Geographical concentration of studies in Europe, North America, and East Asia.

Conclusions:

• There is a need for research and policy interventions to address health risks.
• Enhancing the diverse benefits of slow mobility requires targeted strategies.
• Future research should address under-represented regions and vulnerable populations.