Integrating Digital Health, Citizen Engagement, and Behavioral Science for Climate Change Mitigation

Summary

Objectives: Identify how recent interdisciplinary research integrates digital health, citizen engagement, and behavioral science to address climate-related health challenges and inform mitigation strategies.

Method: A bibliographic search was conducted in PubMed using a structured query targeting the intersection of climate change, digital health and citizen participation, published between January 2024 and December 2024. An initial screening was performed based on titles and abstracts to assess relevance to the themes of climate-related health strategies. From this search, 15 articles were selected as “best paper candidates” through full-text review and expert consensus, based on their methodological quality, originality, and contribution to the field. Among these articles, two papers were ultimately designated as “best papers” following a peer-review process coordinated within the Yearbook of Medical Informatics selection framework.

Results: Among the 174 returned papers published in 2024 across the various areas of the Consumer Health Informatics section, the full review process selected two best papers and identified 13 additional articles as strong candidates contributing to the intersection of climate change and health. The thematic synthesis of these 15 articles revealed eight core themes, organized under three strategic pillars: digital health, citizen engagement, and behavioral science. Within the digital health pillar, studies explored the role of mobile technologies, wearable sensors, and digital platforms in monitoring environmental exposures and informing adaptive health behaviors, while also examining the environmental footprint of digital infrastructures themselves. Articles grouped under citizen engagement emphasized the rise of participatory research models, such as citizen science and community-based environmental monitoring, alongside the urgent need to reform environmental health education among future health professionals. Contributions to the behavioral science pillar included large-scale experimental studies evaluating the effectiveness of nudges and framing strategies on climate-relevant beliefs and behaviors, as well as investigations into the mental health impacts of climate-related stressors and the protective role of social support and nature connectedness. Collectively, these findings reflect a dynamic and interdisciplinary research landscape, pointing to the growing integration of technological, civic, and psychological approaches in health-centered climate change mitigation strategies.

Conclusions: This review highlights how recent interdisciplinary research integrates digital health, citizen engagement, and behavioral science to address the health impacts of climate change. The selected studies demonstrate a growing convergence of technological innovation, participatory methods, and behavioral insights in climate-health strategies. While digital tools enhance exposure monitoring and risk communication, they also raise concerns about sustainability and equity. Citizen-driven initiatives and behavioral interventions emerge as essential but context-sensitive components of adaptive responses. Together, these findings support the need for integrated, inclusive, and evidence-based frameworks to guide health system transformation in the face of ecological crises.