Daily mobility, greenspace exposure and affective states: A systematic review of studies that use mobile methods

Abstract

Emotions, being individuals’ transient affective experiences, are shaped by relational dynamics and environmental interactions over time and cross places. Contact with greenspace as a vital health determinant and well-being resource, similarly, is situationally dependent and culturally influenced. Mobile methods, which involve collecting and analysing data from participants as they move through various settings, offer an innovative approach to studying the relationship between greenspace exposure and affective states during daily mobility. As these methods gain traction, it is essential to develop theoretical frameworks and methodological standards. This systematic review synthesises evidence from 33 studies that employ individual-level, high-resolution mobility data to examine the relationships among daily mobility, greenspace exposure, and affective states. While the overall quality of these studies was rated as ‘good’ with respect to bias risk, according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, inconsistencies in the definitions of outcomes and exposures, as well as variations in measurement and analytical designs, pose significant challenges to forming a cohesive body of evidence. Our analysis focuses on five critical aspects of these studies: geographic scope, sampling strategies, methods for measuring affective states, approaches to assessing greenspace exposure, and statistical techniques. To overcome these challenges and build a more robust evidence base, we propose a unified and collaborative research framework. This framework aims to guide built environment research and inform urban planning practices, thereby enhancing our understanding of the connections between greenspace exposure and emotional well-being.