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A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments
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Background: There is increasing interest in the potential role of the natural environment in human health and well-being. However, the evidence-base for specific and direct health or well-being benefits of activity within natural compared to more synthetic environments has not been systematically assessed. Methods: We conducted a systematic review to collate and synthesise the findings of studies that compare measurements of health or well-being in natural and synthetic environments. Effect sizes of the differences between environments were calculated and meta-analysis used to synthesise data from studies measuring similar outcomes. Results: Twenty-five studies met the review inclusion criteria. Most of these studies were crossover or controlled trials that investigated the effects of short-term exposure to each environment during a walk or run. This included 'natural' environments, such as public parks and green university campuses, and synthetic environments, such as indoor and outdoor built environments. The most common outcome measures were scores of different self-reported emotions. Based on these data, a meta-analysis provided some evidence of a positive benefit of a walk or run in a natural environment in comparison to a synthetic environment. There was also some support for greater attention after exposure to a natural environment but not after adjusting effect sizes for pretest differences. Meta-analysis of data on blood pressure and cortisol concentrations found less evidence of a consistent difference between environments across studies. Conclusions: Overall, the studies are suggestive that natural environments may have direct and positive impacts on well-being, but support the need for investment in further research on this question to understand the general significance for public health.
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A previous meta-analysis has been published that examined whether exposure to natural environments has a positive impact on health and well-being.
“Although a previous meta-analysis has been published that examined whether exposure to natural environments has a positive impact on health and well-being (Bowler et al., 2010)”
From The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness: a meta-analysis (2014) · cites this paper as Bowler et al., 2010
Exposure to natural environments decreases stress, increases happiness, improves mood, and restores attention.
“For example, exposure to natural environments decreases stress, increases happiness, improves mood, and restores attention (Berto, 2005; Bowler, Buyung-Ali, Knight, & Pullin, 2010; White, Alcock, Wheeler, & Depledge, 2013).”
From Behavioral trainings and manipulations to reduce delay discounting: A systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as Bowler, Buyung-Ali, Knight, & Pullin, 2010
Natural spaces have been shown to provide individuals with well-being benefits.
“Natural spaces have been shown to provide individuals with well-being benefits [47]”
From Understanding How Virtual Reality Can Support Mindfulness Practice: Mixed Methods Study (2020) · cites this paper as [47]
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Citations
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“In the past decade, a growing number of reviews have shown relationships between green spaces and several determinants of health, such as physical activity, overweight or obesity, and stress (Bowler et al., 2010; Croucher et al., 2007; Di Nardo et al., 2012; Health Council of the Netherlands and Dutch Advisory Council…”
BackgroundThe effect of contact with natural environments on positive and negative affect: A meta-analysis
McMahan, E. A., & Estes, D. (2015) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2014.994224 · Cited by 833
Green spaces and cognitive development in primary schoolchildren
Dadvand, P., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Esnaola, M., Forns, J., Basagaña, X., Alvarez-Pedrerol, M., Rivas, I., López-Vicente, M., De Castro Pascual, M., Su, J., et al. (2015) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1503402112 · Cited by 942
“J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 36(3):813–820.”
BackgroundResidential green spaces and mortality: A systematic review
Gascón, M., Mas, M. T., Martinez, D. R., Dadvand, P., Rojas‐Rueda, D., Plasència, A., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2015) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2015.10.013 · Cited by 848
“…al., 2011; Uejio et al., 2011; Dadvand et al., 2012; Hoek et al., 2013; Rook, 2013; Dzhambov and Dimitrova, 2014), c) the opportunity to perform physical activity (Shanahan et al., 2015; Wolf and Robbins, 2015), and d) to enhance social interactions (Bowler et al., 2010; Lachowycz and Jones, 2013).”
BackgroundDefining greenspace: Multiple uses across multiple disciplines
Taylor, L., & Hochuli, D. F. (2017) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.09.024 · Cited by 784
The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical Activity Behavior and Well-Being of Canadians
Lesser, I. A., & Nienhuis, C. P. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17113899 · Cited by 783
“When comparing indoor to outdoor physical activity, participants who exercise outdoors reported decreased feelings of tension, confusion, anger and depression while reporting a greater intent to repeat activity when done in the outdoors [34].”
BackgroundThe relationship between nature connectedness and eudaimonic well-being: A meta-analysis
Pritchard, A., Richardson, M., Sheffield, D., & McEwan, K. (2020) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-019-00118-6 · Cited by 702
Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review
Hansen, M. M., Jones, R., & Tocchini, K. (2017) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph14080851 · Cited by 774
“EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsychINFO, Bowler [1] found each study suggested natural environments may have direct and positive impacts on humans’ overall well-being.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialHumans and Nature: How Knowing and Experiencing Nature Affect Well-Being
Russell, R., Guerry, A. D., Balvanera, P., Gould, R. K., Basurto, X., Chan, K. M. A., Klain, S. C., Levine, J., & Tam, J. (2013) · Annual Review of Environment and Resources · doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-012312-110838 · Cited by 729
“Exercise in a natural environment has been shown to provide some positive benefits relative to synthetic environments, but less so for physiological measures than for measures of emotions (37).”
BackgroundAnnerstedt, M., Jönsson, P., Wallergård, M., Johansson, G., Karlson, B., Grahn, P., Hansen, Å. M., & Währborg, P. (2013) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.05.023 · Cited by 647
“Nature and green environments have in several studies been related to stress relief [4,5] and recent research has indicated increased neurophysiological vulnerability to social stress in an urban compared to a rural population [6].”
BackgroundA Difference-in-Differences Analysis of Health, Safety, and Greening Vacant Urban Space
Branas, C. C., Cheney, R. A., MacDonald, J. M., Tam, V. W., Jackson, T. D., & Ten Have, T. R. (2011) · American Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/aje/kwr273 · Cited by 599
Advances in recovery research: What have we learned? What should be done next?
Sonnentag, S., Venz, L., & Casper, A. (2017) · Journal of Occupational Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/ocp0000079 · Cited by 587
Pathways linking biodiversity to human health: A conceptual framework
Marselle, M. R., Hartig, T., Cox, D. T. C., de Bell, S., Knapp, S., Lindley, S. J., Mas, M. T., Böhning‐Gaese, K., Braubach, M., Cook, P. A., et al. (2021) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2021.106420 · Cited by 649
Hunter, R. F., Cleland, C., Cleary, A., Droomers, M., Wheeler, B. W., Sinnett, D., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., & Braubach, M. (2019) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2019.104923 · Cited by 544
Lachowycz, K., & Jones, A. P. (2013) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.10.012 · Cited by 518
Finlay, J., Franke, T., McKay, H., & Sims-Gould, J. (2015) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.05.001 · Cited by 507
“Recently nature was linked to health and wellbeing in the academic literature (e.g. Hartig et al., 2014; Mitchell, 2013; Dinnie et al., 2013; Hartig et al., 2011; Abraham et al., 2010; Bowler et al., 2010).”
BackgroundInfluentialAerts, R., Honnay, O., & Van Nieuwenhuyse, A. (2018) · British Medical Bulletin · doi:10.1093/bmb/ldy021 · Cited by 521
What is a walkable place? The walkability debate in urban design
Forsyth, A. (2015) · URBAN DESIGN International · doi:10.1057/udi.2015.22 · Cited by 513
“Typically, such environments are seen as restorative, relaxing, or recreational, but not “walkable” (For reviews see Maller et al. 2005; Wells et al. 2007; Bowler et al. 2010; Barton and Pretty 2010).”
BackgroundThe role of urban green space for human well-being
Bertram, C., & Katrin Rehdanz, A. (2015) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.10.013 · Cited by 515
“Benefits can accrue from increased activity levels as a result of being in contact with nature (see Bowler et al. (2010) for a review). In addition, Kaplan (2001) shows that natural elements in the view from a window can have positive effects.”
BackgroundGómez‐Baggethun, E., Gren, Å., Barton, D. N., Langemeyer, J., McPhearson, T., O’Farrell, P. J., Andersson, E., Hamstead, Z. A., & Kremer, P. (2013) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-7088-1_11 · Cited by 545
“Other studies suggest that urban ecosystem services like air pollution reduction (Lovasi et al. 2008 ; Pérez et al. 2009 ) and urban cooling (Bowler et al. 2010b ) have multiple long term health benefi ts.”
BackgroundParacchini, M. L., Zulian, G., Kopperoinen, L., Maes, J., Schägner, J. P., Termansen, M., Zandersen, M., Pérez‐Soba, M., Scholefield, P. A., & Bidoglio, G. (2014) · Ecological Indicators · doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.04.018 · Cited by 490
Hunter, R. F., Christian, H., Veitch, J., Astell-Burt, T., Hipp, J. A., & Schipperijn, J. (2015) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.11.051 · Cited by 451
Social support and mental health: the mediating role of perceived stress
Acoba, E. F. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1330720 · Cited by 684
Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review
Wolf, K. L., Lam, S. T., McKeen, J., Richardson, G. R. A., van den Bosch, M. A., & Bardekjian, A. C. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17124371 · Cited by 525
Capaldi, C. A., Passmore, H., Nisbet, E. K. L., Zelenski, J. M., & Dopko, R. L. (2015) · International Journal of Wellbeing · doi:10.5502/ijw.v5i4.449 · Cited by 458
“org 4 reviews on the health benefits of nature (Bowler et al., 2010) and the effect of “green exercise” on mental wellbeing (Thompson-Coon et al.”
BackgroundThe effects of naturalness, gender, and age on how urban green space is perceived and used
Sang, Å. O., Knez, I., Gunnarsson, B., & Hedblom, M. (2016) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2016.06.008 · Cited by 446
Mitchell, R. (2012) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.04.012 · Cited by 439
“Whilst experimental studies have been essential for demonstrating restorative effects of natural environments, the studies are largely small scale and short-term (Bowler et al., 2010; Thompson Coon et al., 2011).”
BackgroundThe great outdoors: how a green exercise environment can benefit all
Gladwell, V. F., Brown, D. K., Wood, C., Sandercock, G. R., & Barton, J. L. (2013) · Extreme Physiology & Medicine · doi:10.1186/2046-7648-2-3 · Cited by 424
Evaluating restoration in urban green spaces: Does setting type make a difference?
den Berg, A. E. V., Jørgensen, A., & Wilson, E. R. (2014) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.04.012 · Cited by 448
Feelings of restoration from recent nature visits
White, M. P., Pahl, S., Ashbullby, K., Herbert, S., & Depledge, M. H. (2013) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.04.002 · Cited by 417
A Review of the Benefits of Nature Experiences: More Than Meets the Eye
Franco, L., Shanahan, D. F., & Fuller, R. A. (2017) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph14080864 · Cited by 467
Neighborhood Environments and Socioeconomic Inequalities in Mental Well-Being
Mitchell, R., Richardson, E. A., Shortt, N., & Pearce, J. R. (2015) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2015.01.017 · Cited by 414
A socio-ecological exploration of fear of crime in urban green spaces – A systematic review
Maruthaveeran, S., & Konijnendijk, C. C. (2014) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2013.11.006 · Cited by 418
“(1983) + Brower et al. (1983) + Schroeder and Anderson (1984) + Schroeder and Green (1985) Talbot and Kaplan (1984) Shaffer and Anderson (1985) + + Westover (1985) − + − − − − + + Burgess et al.”
BackgroundBrown, D. K., Barton, J. L., & Gladwell, V. F. (2013) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es305019p · Cited by 409
Green and blue spaces and behavioral development in Barcelona schoolchildren: The BREATHE project
Amoly, E., Dadvand, P., Forns, J., López-Vicente, M., Basagaña, X., Julvez, J., Alvarez-Pedrerol, M., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., & Sunyer, J. (2014) · Environmental Health Perspectives · doi:10.1289/ehp.1408215 · Cited by 390
Douglas, O., Lennon, M., & Scott, M. (2017) · Cities · doi:10.1016/j.cities.2017.03.011 · Cited by 387
Wheeler, B. W., Lovell, R., Higgins, S., White, M. P., Alcock, I., Osborne, N. J., Husk, K., Sabel, C. E., & Depledge, M. H. (2015) · International Journal of Health Geographics · doi:10.1186/s12942-015-0009-5 · Cited by 368
“Reviews indicate that the evidence base is diverse, of mixed (often low) quality, and is by no means conclusive [2,18-22].”
BackgroundSuzuki, Y., Maeda, N., Hirado, D., Shirakawa, T., & Urabe, Y. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17186591 · Cited by 377
“When comparing indoor to outdoor PA, people who exercise outdoors reported decreased feelings of tension, confusion, anger, and depression [25].”
BackgroundGidlow, C. J., Jones, M. V., Hurst, G., Masterson, D., Clark-Carter, D. D., Tarvainen, M. P., Smith, G., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2015) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.11.003 · Cited by 370
“…to date suggests that viewing or visiting natural environments can result in better affective outcomes measured through self-reported mood scales (Bowler et al., 2010; Lee et al., 2011; Tsunetsugu et al., 2013; Tyrväinen et al., 2014), perhaps more so when the natural environment contains water,…”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialGuannel, G., Arkema, K. K., Ruggiero, P., & Verutes, G. M. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158094 · Cited by 363
Rung, J. M., & Madden, G. J. (2018) · Journal of Experimental Psychology: General · doi:10.1037/xge0000462 · Cited by 358
Dadvand, P., Villanueva, C. M., Font-Ribera, L., Martinez, D., Basagaña, X., Belmonte, J., Vrijheid, M., Gražulevičienė, R., Kogevinas, M., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2014) · Environmental Health Perspectives · doi:10.1289/ehp.1308038 · Cited by 356
Environmental influence in the brain, human welfare and mental health
Tost, H., Champagne, F. A., & Meyer‐Lindenberg, A. (2015) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn.4108 · Cited by 370
Astell-Burt, T., Feng, X., Mavoa, S., Badland, H. M., & Giles-Corti, B. (2014) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-292 · Cited by 351
The effects of green exercise on physical and mental wellbeing: a systematic review
Lahart, I., Darcy, P., Gidlow, C., & Calogiuri, G. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16081352 · Cited by 353
“In addition to the inclusion of a greater number of more recent trials, there are three important differences between the current review and Bowler and colleagues’ review [16], which makes comparisons between the two reviews difficult.”
InfluentialWhen walking in nature is not restorative—The role of prospect and refuge
Gatersleben, B., & Andrews, M. (2013) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2013.01.001 · Cited by 347
Sporting Mind: The Interplay of Physical Activity and Psychological Health
Martín-Rodríguez, A., Gostian, L. A., Beltrán-Velasco, A. I., Belando‐Pedreño, N., Simón, J. A., López-Mora, C., Navarro-Jiménez, E., Tornero-Aguilera, J. F., & Clemente‐Suárez, V. J. (2024) · Sports · doi:10.3390/sports12010037 · Cited by 521
“The researchers concluded that the natural environment has a significant impact on emotions such as anger, exhaustion, serenity, and sadness, with a slightly beneficial influence on energy levels [177].”
BackgroundHow is quality of urban green spaces associated with physical activity and health?
Akpinar, A. (2016) · Urban Forestry & Urban Greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2016.01.011 · Cited by 341
Browning, M. H. E. M., & Lee, K. (2017) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph14070675 · Cited by 342
“Many of the analyses in this review examined health outcomes for which multiple other reviews find consistent ties between greenness and physical health – namely physical activity, birth and developmental outcomes, and cardiovascular outcomes [1,7,14-16].”
Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2016) · Environmental Health · doi:10.1186/s12940-016-0108-1 · Cited by 367
“Furthermore, physical activity in green spaces appears to have added benefits [156] and cyclists prefer to cycle through greener areas [157].”
Greenspace and human health: An umbrella review
Yang, B., Zhao, T., Hu, L.-X., Browning, M. H. E. M., Heinrich, J., Dharmage, S. C., Jalaludin, B. B., Knibbs, L. D., Liu, X., Luo, Y., et al. (2021) · The Innovation · doi:10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100164 · Cited by 343
“Bowler et al.(20) 25 studies (24 articles) including 13 crossover trials, 7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and 5 observational studies Exposure group: walking or running in the natural environment, wilderness backpacking, gardening, passive/sedentary activities, or a mixture of activities Control group: outdoor…”
InfluentialStryamets, N., Elbakidze, M., Ceuterick, M., Angelstam, P. K., & Axelsson, R. (2015) · Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine · doi:10.1186/s13002-015-0036-0 · Cited by 319
The Surgeon General’s call to action to prevent skin cancer
Watson, M., Garnett, E., Guy, G. P., & Holman, D. M. (2014) · Cited by 318
McEachan, R., Prady, S. L., Smith, G., Fairley, L., Cabieses, B., Gidlow, C. J., Wright, J., Dadvand, P., van Gent, D., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2015) · Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · doi:10.1136/jech-2015-205954 · Cited by 334
Green space, health inequality and pregnancy
Dadvand, P., de Nazelle, A. J., Figueras, F., Basagaña, X., Su, J. G., Amoly, E., Jerrett, M., Vrijheid, M., Sunyer, J., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2011) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2011.07.004 · Cited by 305
Stress recovery and restorative effects of viewing different urban park scenes in Shanghai, China
Wang, X., Rodiek, S., Wu, C., Chen, Y., & Li, Y. (2016) · Urban Forestry & Urban Greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2015.12.003 · Cited by 302
Immordino‐Yang, M. H., Darling‐Hammond, L., & Krone, C. R. (2019) · Educational Psychologist · doi:10.1080/00461520.2019.1633924 · Cited by 405
The Practice of Biophilic Design
Kellert, S. R. (2015) · Cited by 302
Vienneau, D., de Hoogh, K., Faeh, D., Kaufmann, M., Wunderli, J. M., & Röösli, M. (2017) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2017.08.012 · Cited by 282
Analyzing the mediators between nature-based outdoor recreation and emotional well-being
Korpela, K., Borodulin, K., Neuvonen, M., Paronen, O., & Tyrväinen, L. (2013) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.11.003 · Cited by 312
“…evidence concerned emotional outcome as the strongest restorative outcome of nature exposure; activity in the natural environment produced a significant decrease in negative feelings (anger, sadness, anxiety and fatigue) and increase in positivemood (tranquillity and energy) (Bowler et al., 2010).”
BackgroundJiang, B., Li, D., Larsen, L., & SULLIVAN, W. C. (2014) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0013916514552321 · Cited by 278
Corazon, S. S., Sidenius, U., Poulsen, D. V., Gramkow, M. C., & Stigsdotter, U. K. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16101711 · Cited by 269
“In the present review, the EPHPP tool was chosen as it is a validated and widely used assessment tool in health research [26] and has been used in previous reviews in the field [11,16].”
MethodWhitburn, J., Linklater, W. L., & Milfont, T. L. (2018) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0013916517751009 · Cited by 277
Mygind, L., Kjeldsted, E., Hartmeyer, R., Mygind, E., Bølling, M., & Bentsen, P. (2019) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.05.014 · Cited by 331
Understanding How Virtual Reality Can Support Mindfulness Practice: Mixed Methods Study
Seabrook, E., Kelly, R., Foley, F., Theiler, S., Thomas, N., Wadley, G., & Nedeljkovic, M. (2020) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/16106 · Cited by 262
“Natural spaces have been shown to provide individuals with well-being benefits [47], and this effect has been observed in the use of VR and other nonimmersive platforms (ie, computer screens) [48,49].”
BackgroundSubjective well-being indicators for large-scale assessment of cultural ecosystem services
Bryce, R., Irvine, K. N., Church, A., Fish, R. D., Ranger, S., & Kenter, J. O. (2016) · Ecosystem Services · doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2016.07.015 · Cited by 265
“An international body of evidence supports the idea that interaction with the natural environment plays an important role in human health and well-being (for reviews see, Bowler et al., 2010; Frumkin, 2001; Hartig et al., 2014; Irvine and Warber, 2002; Keniger et al., 2013).”
BackgroundWalking on sunshine: Scoping review of the evidence for walking and mental health
Kelly, P., Williamson, C., Niven, A. G., Hunter, R., Mutrie, N., & Richards, J. (2018) · British Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-098827 · Cited by 253
Multiple health benefits of urban tree canopy: The mounting evidence for a green prescription
Ulmer, J. M., Wolf, K. L., Backman, D. R., Tretheway, R. L., Blain, C. J., O’Neil-Dunne, J. P., & Frank, L. D. (2016) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.08.011 · Cited by 256
“Decades of research suggest that exposure to nature and green spaces can help to reduce stress, promote restoration, and generally improve mental health (Bowler et al., 2010; Bratman et al., 2012; Maller et al., 2006).”
BackgroundBuildings, Beauty, and the Brain: A Neuroscience of Architectural Experience
Coburn, A., Vartanian, O. A., & Chatterjee, A. K. (2017) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/jocn_a_01146 · Cited by 273
Health and well-being benefits of spending time in forests: systematic review
Oh, B., Lee, K. J., Zaslawski, C., Yeung, A., Rosenthal, D., Larkey, L., & Back, M. (2017) · Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12199-017-0677-9 · Cited by 282
“Keywords: Nature, Forest, Health, Wellbeing, Green environment Background There is a growing interest in the health benefits associated with individuals undertaking outdoor activities in a natural environment [1, 2].”
BackgroundYeo, N. L., White, M. P., Alcock, I., Garside, R., Dean, S. G., Smalley, A. J., & Gatersleben, B. (2020) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101500 · Cited by 260
Mental health benefits of nature-based recreation: a systematic review
Lackey, N. Q., Tysor, D. A., McNay, G. D., Joyner, L., Baker, K. H., & Hodge, C. J. (2019) · Annals of Leisure Research · doi:10.1080/11745398.2019.1655459 · Cited by 290
“…(Thomsen, Powell, and Monz 2018), were narrowly focussed on theory application (Ohly et al. 2016; Stevenson, Schilhab, and Bentsen 2018), provided a selective evaluation of existing literature (Barton and Pretty 2010), or looked at physical health outcomes more generally (Bowler et al. 2010).”
BackgroundJackson, S. B., Stevenson, K. T., Larson, L. R., Peterson, M. N., & Seekamp, E. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18052506 · Cited by 297
“Health benefits associated with exposure to nature include improved physical health [35,36], but the majority of the findings center on improved mental well-being [37–43].”
BackgroundChirico, A., & Gaggioli, A. (2019) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2018.0393 · Cited by 265
Tost, H., Reichert, M., Braun, U., Reinhard, I., Peters, R. B., Lautenbach, S., Hoell, A., Schwarz, E., Ebner‐Priemer, U., Zipf, A., et al. (2019) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/s41593-019-0451-y · Cited by 266
Lawton, E., Brymer, E., Clough, P., & Denovan, A. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01058 · Cited by 283
Attention Restoration Theory: Exploring the Role of Soft Fascination and Mental Bandwidth
Basu, A. S., Duvall, J., & Kaplan, R. (2018) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0013916518774400 · Cited by 279
The role of urban neighbourhood green space in children's emotional and behavioural resilience
Flouri, E., Midouhas, E., & Joshi, H. (2014) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2014.06.007 · Cited by 258
The association between green space and adolescents' mental well-being: a systematic review
Zhang, Y., Mavoa, S., Zhao, J., Raphael, D., & Smith, M. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17186640 · Cited by 240
“Matsuoka [97] indicated that not all types of green space are beneficial for high school students and some studies have shown that benefits depend on the quality of green spaces [38,87,98].”
BackgroundThe Benefits of Children's Engagement with Nature: A Systematic Literature Review
Gill, T. (2014) · Children Youth and Environments · doi:10.7721/chilyoutenvi.24.2.0010 · Cited by 382
The use of virtual reality in environment experiences and the importance of realism
Newman, M., Gatersleben, B., Wyles, K. J., & Ratcliffe, E. (2021) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101733 · Cited by 253
Markevych, I., Tiesler, C. M. T., Fuertes, E., Romanos, M., Dadvand, P., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Berdel, D., Koletzko, S., & Heinrich, J. (2014) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2014.06.002 · Cited by 256
“However, with only a few exceptions, most studies examining associations between green spaces and mental health have been conducted among adults (Bowler et al., 2010; Lee and Maheswaran, 2010).”
BackgroundActive and Passive Use of Green Space, Health, and Well-Being amongst University Students
Holt, E. W., Lombard, Q. K., Best, N., Smiley-Smith, S., & Quinn, J. E. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16030424 · Cited by 251
Nesbitt, L., Hotte, N., Barron, S., Cowan, J., & Sheppard, S. R. J. (2017) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2017.05.005 · Cited by 245
Surrounding Greenness and Pregnancy Outcomes in Four Spanish Birth Cohorts
Dadvand, P., Sunyer, J., Basagaña, X., Ballester, F., Lertxundi, A., Fernández-Somoano, A., Estarlich, M., García-Esteban, R., Mendez, M. A., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2012) · Environmental Health Perspectives · doi:10.1289/ehp.1205244 · Cited by 269
“2003), and green spaces have been reported to improve depression and relieve stress (Bowler et al. 2010).”
BackgroundInfluential
Metadata
- Authors
- Bowler, D. E., Buyung-Ali, L. M., Knight, T. M., & Pullin, A. S.
- Affiliations
- Bangor University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Pullin, Andrew S
- Venue
- BMC Public Health
- Published
- 2010-08-04
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 456-456
- ISSN
- 1471-2458 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2924288
- OpenAlex
- W2115180584
- Cited by
- 1,993
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 108 · 2025: 146 · 2024: 206 · 2023: 172 · 2022: 176 · 2021: 184 · 2020: 227 · 2019: 167 · 2018: 138 · 2017: 103 · 2016: 112 · 2015: 80 · 2014: 78 · 2013: 54 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 3.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMC Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Natural England
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Urban Studies › Urban Green Space and Health
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Acoustics and Ultrasonics › Noise Effects and Management
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Physical Activity and Health
- Keywords
- natural environment, synthetic environments, built environment, well-being, self-reported emotion, attention, blood pressure, cortisol, walking, running, green spaces, public parks, urban green space, nature exposure
- MeSH terms
- Health Status, Humans, Personal Satisfaction, Nature
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
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