MEDLINE
Search Strategies: Motor Vehicle Traffic
Physical activity has been clearly demonstrated to reduce coronary
heart disease [BMJ
editorial, 2004], and the San Francisco Department of Public
Health has a program focusing on pedestrian
safety in SF. What published literature describes the intersection
between walking and pedestrian safety?
The following search strategy was developed
to find this literature in MEDLINE, the National Library of Medicine's
bibliographic index of articles published in the world's medical literature.
Each article in MEDLINE is indexed manually with Medical Subject Headings
(MeSH). Articles are frequently indexed under a dozen MeSH plus additional subheadings
for these MeSH. Furthermore, the one or two main topics (main MeSH)
for the paper are indexed as being Major MeSH (MAJR). All of these
indexing features can be used to construct a targeted search.
Using the "MeSH
Database" help
feature on the left hand side of the PubMed
search screen (under PubMed Services), it was determined that there
is no MeSH for "pedestrian safety." This topic is covered
under the MeSH Accidents,
Traffic. In June of 2004, there were 20,722 citations indexed under
this MeSH. Walking,
however, is MeSH, and 5,252 citations were indexed under it.
Building the search strategy
within this "MeSH Database," the
subheading "prevention and control" was added to "accidents,
traffic" AND "walking" was entered into the strategy
as being a Major MeSH. A link to the results for this strategy (current
whenever you click on it) is provided below:
"Accidents,
Traffic/prevention and control"[MeSH] AND "Walking"[MAJR]
In June of 2004, this strategy produced 50 citations.
