Prescribing active transport as a planetary health intervention – benefits, challenges and recommendations

Abstract

A high proportion of people are insufficiently physically active. The reasons for this are complex and in part relate to social determinants of health, lifestyle choices, and deleterious environmental conditions like climate change, loss of green and outdoor environments and a concomitant loss of biodiversity. Physiotherapists, and other health professionals, may have a positive impact on these global issues, through the encouragement of active transport, and advocacy to reduce barriers to its uptake and optimize exposure to health-giving outdoor spaces. In this paper, we demonstrate how physiotherapists can promote active transport as a planetary health intervention, and provide insight into the benefits and challenges of this planetary health intervention, with direct implications to physiotherapy practice.

Australian physiotherapists' knowledge and views on the relationship between climate change, health, and physiotherapy

“…specifically the connection between physiotherapy and planetary health, physiotherapists can implement environmentally sustainable physiotherapy practices (Maric et al, 2022;Padhy, 2021). Physiotherapists can also promote using active transport with their patients, which could contribute to planetary health as well as human health by increasing physical activity (Stanhope et al, 2021;Toner et al, 2021). While the current research identified some barriers for…”

“…As health professionals, physiotherapists also have a role in mitigating climate change and its adverse effects on health through personal action, education, advocacy, and health promotion (Maric & Nicholls, 2019). There is a growing body of literature discussing how physiotherapists can fulfil this role (Foo, 2016; Jones, 2009; Maric & Nicholls, 2019; Maric et al., 2022; Myers, 2017; Stanhope et al., 2021; Toner et al., 2021). For instance, encouraging the use of active transport, such as walking or cycling, which not only increases physical activity, but also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution (Christe, 2021; Padhy, 2021).…”

Health-Promoting and Sustainable Behavior in University Students in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…For example, active transport to university should be promoted by ensuring safe infrastructure, providing rental bicycles and e-bikes, and linking with sustainable public transport [ 31 ]. The Bicycle Friendly University program awards U.S. higher education facilities that provide physical infrastructure, education programs, encouragement, incentives, and equitable laws to promote biking [ 32 ].…”

Associations between Children’s Physical Activity and Neighborhood Environments Using GIS: A Secondary Analysis from a Systematic Scoping Review

“…Considerable potential also exists for improving planetary health through these environmental approaches [21][22][23]. The transport sector plays a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions [22], and urban design that prioritizes motorized transport can contribute to the urban heat island effect [80].…”

“…Numerous co-benefits exist when environments are designed to enable children's physical activity, including supporting planetary health (e.g., through reducing air pollution via shifting from motorized to active travel modes [20][21][22]). Indeed, encouraging active travel has been suggested as a "planetary health intervention" recognizing the multiple pathways through which human travel behaviors and planetary health are linked [23]. Children's physical activity tracks over the lifespan [24,25], so establishing healthy physical activity habits, including active travel, early in life can have a long-standing impact on both human and planetary health.…”