The DOI matches its Crossref record; 56 of the 57 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments
Open accessAbstract
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.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Figures
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“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
In the citing paper
“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
In the citing paper
“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]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
The restorative benefits of nature: toward an integrative framework
Kaplan, S. (1995) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2 · Cited by 6,923 · cited 1×
“This is postulated to occur through restorative qualities of the environment that promote feelings of ‘being away’ from routine activities and thoughts and ‘soft fascination’ with features in the natural environment that attract attention without requiring effort [14].”
BackgroundPromoting ecosystem and human health in urban areas using Green Infrastructure: A literature review
Tzoulas, K., Korpela, K., Venn, S., Yli‐Pelkonen, V., Kaźmierczak, A., Niemelä, J. K., & James, P. (2007) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2007.02.001 · Cited by 2,894
The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature.
Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x · Cited by 2,535 · cited 8×
“Eight studies investigated effects on attention/concentration (including two studies that focused specifically on ratings of ADD/ADHD symptoms of children; see “Methodology”) [32,34,35,41,42,48,49].”
BackgroundResultInfluentialAesthetic and affective response to natural environment
Ulrich, R. S. (1983) · Behavior and the Natural Environment · doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-3539-9_4 · Cited by 2,241
Tracking restoration in natural and urban field settings
Hartig, T., Evans, G. W., Jamner, L. D., Davis, D. S., & Gärling, T. (2003) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/s0272-4944(02)00109-3 · Cited by 2,118 · cited 10×
“Eight studies investigated effects on attention/concentration (including two studies that focused specifically on ratings of ADD/ADHD symptoms of children; see “Methodology”) [32,34,35,41,42,48,49].”
BackgroundInfluentialThomas, B. H., Ciliska, D., Dobbins, M., & Micucci, S. (2004) · Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing · doi:10.1111/j.1524-475x.2004.04006.x · Cited by 2,118 · cited 1×
“A methodology quality checklist was devised, guided by items from an available quality assessment tool [25].”
MethodEffect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities: an observational population study
Mitchell, R., & Popham, F. (2008) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(08)61689-x · Cited by 2,099
Green space, urbanity, and health: how strong is the relation?
Maas, J., Verheij, R. A., Groenewegen, P. P., de Vries, S., & Spreeuwenberg, P. (2006) · Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health · doi:10.1136/jech.2005.043125 · Cited by 1,976 · cited 1×
“Cross-sectional studies have suggested positive relationships between green space and health [16,17]; however, identifying the causal pathway can be complex.”
BackgroundRestorative Effects of Natural Environment Experiences
Hartig, T., Mang, M., & Evans, G. W. (1991) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0013916591231001 · Cited by 1,700 · cited 9×
“The most common study participants were college/university students [30-32,35,37,38,40,41,44,46,47] and physically active individuals such as backpackers, regular runners or athletes [32,39,42-45].”
BackgroundInfluentialBarton, J., & Pretty, J. (2010) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es903183r · Cited by 1,592 · cited 1×
“combined data from a range of different green exercise programs found consistent positive benefits [12].”
Background
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Kaplan R, Kaplan S: The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. 1989, New York, Cambridge University Press
- Scholz U, Krombholz H: A study of the physical performance ability of children from wood kindergartens and from regular kindergartens. Motorik Mar. 2007, 1: 17-22.
- Peacock J, Hine R, Pretty J: The mental health benefits of green exercise activities and green care. 2007, Report for MIND
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 301–400 of 1,001
Frühauf, A., Niedermeier, M., Elliott, L. R., Ledochowski, L., Marksteiner, J., & Kopp, M. (2016) · Mental health and physical activity · doi:10.1016/j.mhpa.2016.02.002 · Cited by 94
Swami, V., Barron, D., & Furnham, A. (2018) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.12.006 · Cited by 94
McAllister, E., Bhullar, N., & Schutte, N. S. (2017) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph14070786 · Cited by 90
“While often investigated, it appears that physical exercise and social contact cannot fully explain the beneficial effects of nature [1].”
BackgroundCombined Effect of Walking and Forest Environment on Salivary Cortisol Concentration
Kobayashi, H., Song, C., Ikei, H., Park, B., Kagawa, T., & Miyazaki, Y. (2019) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2019.00376 · Cited by 91
“(5) reported, 13 studies on the effects of walking in natural environments were published between 1991 and 2008, most of which reported that nature therapy decreased negative emotions, such as anger, fatigue, and sadness, and enhanced positive emotions, such as energy.”
BackgroundKrabbendam, L., van Vugt, M., Conus, P., Söderström, O., Empson, L. A., van Os, J., & Fett, A.-K. J. (2020) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291720000355 · Cited by 102
“The effects on psychophysiological indicators, such as blood pressure and heart rate variability, are less well-studied (Bowler et al., 2010).”
BackgroundEgner, L. E., Sütterlin, S., & Calogiuri, G. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17186792 · Cited by 108
“[26] stated: “Differences between a natural environment and an alternative environment could arguably be due to factors of the alternative environment rather than those of the natural environment.”
BackgroundInfluentialHuang, Y., Aguilar, F. X., Yang, J. C., Qin, Y., & Wen, Y. (2021) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127110 · Cited by 91
The health and well-being impacts of protected areas in Finland
Puhakka, R., Pitkänen, K., & Siikamäki, P. (2016) · Journal of Sustainable Tourism · doi:10.1080/09669582.2016.1243696 · Cited by 90
“…on the psychological benefits of interacting with nature can broadly be divided into psychological well-being benefits and those associated with cognitive performance, i.e. positive effects on mental processes and cognitive ability or function (Keniger et al., 2013; see Bowler et al., 2010).”
BackgroundPearlmutter, D., Calfapietra, C., Samson, R., O’Brien, L., Ostoić, S. K., Sanesi, G., & del Amo, R. A. (2017) · Future city · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-50280-9 · Cited by 98
Qiu, M., Sha, J., & Scott, N. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18052299 · Cited by 101
“However, experiences based on virtual environments comprising pictures, slides, or videos were not included as participants were not directly exposed to the real natural environment [25].”
BackgroundMethodNature Walks as a Part of Therapeutic Intervention for Depression
Korpela, K., Stengård, E., & Jussila, P. (2016) · Ecopsychology · doi:10.1089/eco.2015.0070 · Cited by 107
“…affecting the attentional, emotional, and physiological processes of stress restoration, vitality, cognition (for reviews, see Africa et al., 2014; Bowler et al., 2010; Bratman et al., 2012; Hartig et al., 2014; for a review of nature-based therapeutic interventions, see Stigsdotter et al.,…”
Assessing Nature-Based Recreation to Support Urban Green Infrastructure Planning in Trento (Italy)
Cortinovis, C., Zulian, G., & Geneletti, D. (2018) · Land · doi:10.3390/land7040112 · Cited by 89
Play, Learn, and Teach Outdoors—Network (PLaTO-Net): terminology, taxonomy, and ontology
Lee, E., de Lannoy, L., Li, L., de Barros, M. I. A., Bentsen, P., BRUSSONI, M. J., Crompton, L., Fiskum, T. A., Guerrero, M., Hallås, B. O., et al. (2022) · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · doi:10.1186/s12966-022-01294-0 · Cited by 100
Mitigation of air pollution by greenness: A narrative review
Franchini, M., & Mannucci, P. M. (2018) · European Journal of Internal Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ejim.2018.06.021 · Cited by 97
Virtual reality and immersive technologies to promote workplace wellbeing: a systematic review
Riches, S., Taylor, L., Jeyarajaguru, P., Veling, W., & Valmaggia, L. (2023) · Journal of Mental Health · doi:10.1080/09638237.2023.2182428 · Cited by 97
“…after short exposures, virtual nature – much like real-world nature – increases parasympathetic activity, lowers blood pressure, and reduces cerebral blood flow in the cerebral cortex, which improves wellbeing, mood, and stress (Annerstedt et al., 2013; Bowler et al., 2010; de Kort et al., 2006).”
BackgroundImpact of frequency of visits and time spent in urban green space on subjective well-being
Hong, S.-K., Lee, S.-W., Jo, H.-K., & Yoo, M. (2019) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su11154189 · Cited by 86
Su, S., Zhang, Q., Pi, J., Wan, C., & Weng, M. (2016) · Land Use Policy · doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2016.06.030 · Cited by 87
Watkins, S. L., Mincey, S. K., Vogt, J., & Sweeney, S. P. (2016) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0013916516636423 · Cited by 86
Regular Doses of Nature: The Efficacy of Green Exercise Interventions for Mental Wellbeing
Rogerson, M., Wood, C., Pretty, J., Schoenmakers, P. P. J. M., Bloomfield, D., & Barton, J. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17051526 · Cited by 86
Linking ecosystem services and human health: the Eco-Health Relationship Browser
Jackson, L. E., Daniel, J., McCorkle, B., Sears, A., & Bush, K. F. (2013) · International Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1007/s00038-013-0482-1 · Cited by 86
“Nonetheless, there remains a need to further synthesize the ever-expanding set of literature to make available information accessible to a broader audience, particularly policy makers (Bowler et al. 2010).”
BackgroundBell, S., Wheeler, B. W., & Phoenix, C. (2016) · Annals of the American Association of Geographers · doi:10.1080/24694452.2016.1218269 · Cited by 86
“…exposure, examined by Astell-Burt, Feng, and Holt, 2014) and those thought to promote healthier lifestyles (e.g., physical activity), restoration from stress and fatigue, and social interaction (Kaplan 1995; Herzog et al. 1997; Maas et al. 2009; Bowler et al. 2010; Thompson-Coon et al. 2011).”
BackgroundThe role of the physical environment in adolescent mental health
Mueller, M. A. E., Flouri, E., & Kokosi, T. (2019) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102153 · Cited by 91
Thompson, C. W., Aspinall, P., & Roe, J. J. (2014) · Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.036 · Cited by 84
Development of the natural environment scoring tool (NEST).
Gidlow, C., van Kempen, E., Smith, G., Triguero-Mas, M., Kruize, H., Gražulevičienė, R., Ellis, N., Hurst, G., Masterson, D., Cirach, M., et al. (2018) · Urban Forestry & Urban Greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2017.12.007 · Cited by 83
Forest Walking Affects Autonomic Nervous Activity: A Population-Based Study
Kobayashi, H., Song, C., Ikei, H., Park, B., Lee, J., Kagawa, T., & Miyazaki, Y. (2018) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2018.00278 · Cited by 89
“Various studies on the psychological effects of natural environments have been conducted, with consistent effects of reducing negative emotions, such as anger, fatigue, or sadness, being demonstrated in previous studies (4).”
BackgroundRoberts, H., Kellar, I., Conner, M. T., Gidlow, C. J., Kelly, B., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., & McEachan, R. (2019) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126485 · Cited by 89
Attention restoration during environmental exposure via alpha-theta oscillations and synchronization
Chen, Z., He, Y., & Yu, Y. (2020) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101406 · Cited by 88
A mobile VR-based respiratory biofeedback game to foster diaphragmatic breathing
Rockstroh, C., Blum, J., & Göritz, A. S. (2021) · Virtual Reality · doi:10.1007/s10055-020-00471-5 · Cited by 83
Levinger, P., Cerin, E., Milner, C., & Hill, K. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Health Research · doi:10.1080/09603123.2021.1879739 · Cited by 90
“Greater exposure to, or ‘contact with’, natural environments (such as parks, woodlands, beaches, street trees, private gardens, and aquatic and marine environments) has been associated with better health and well-being (Bowler et al. 2010; Dadvand et al. 2016; Hartig and Kahn 2016), with residents who spent at least 1…”
BackgroundYang, Y., Cao, M., Cheng, L., Zhai, K., Zhao, X., & Vos, J. D. (2021) · Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives · doi:10.1016/j.trip.2021.100450 · Cited by 86
“…been at a slight advantage, as they were more likely to have green spaces available, such as courtyards or gardens, which resulted in higher levels of life satisfaction as well as increasing their physical activity and wellbeing (Benton et al., 2018; Bowler et al., 2010; Lee and Maheswaran, 2010).”
BackgroundEffect of Forest Therapy on Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Yeon, P., Jeon, J. Y., Jung, M.-S., Min, G.-M., Kim, G.-Y., Han, K.-M., Shin, M., Jo, S.-H., Kim, J.-G., & Shin, W.-S. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph182312685 · Cited by 97
“It has been reported that the evidence found to date is that viewing or visiting the natural environment can reduce blood pressure and stress hormone levels and positively affect mood states [94,95].”
BackgroundJahncke, H., & Halin, N. (2012) · Noise and Health · doi:10.4103/1463-1741.102966 · Cited by 83
“[8] For a review of the psychological benefits of nature experiences see Bowler et al.[25] However, from reported research on restorative environments, it cannot be well specified how long the restorative period should be to improve performance and how varying sound conditions might influence the effectiveness of the…”
BackgroundNatural environments and chronic stress measured by hair cortisol
Gidlow, C. J., Randall, J., Gillman, J. C., Smith, G. R., & Jones, M. V. (2016) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.12.009 · Cited by 99
“To date, findings from studies of acute salivary cortisol responses to natural environment exposure have been inconsistent (Beil & Hanes, 2013; Bowler et al., 2010; Lee et al., 2011; Park, Tsunetsugu, Kasetani, Kagawa, & Miyazaki, 2010; Van den Berg & Custers, 2010) and often subject to the…”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialFeng, X., & Astell‐Burt, T. (2018) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-018-1926-1 · Cited by 89
Yang, B., Markevych, I., Heinrich, J., Bloom, M. S., Qian, Z. M., Geiger, S. D., Vaughn, M. G., Liu, S., Guo, Y., Dharmage, S. C., et al. (2019) · Environmental Pollution · doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2019.03.128 · Cited by 83
Beverly, E. A., Hommema, L., Coates, K., Duncan, G., Gable, B. D., Gutman, T., Love, M., Love, C., Pershing, M. L., & Stevens, N. J. (2022) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0262703 · Cited by 89
“We chose to film a nature scene because of the extensive empirical literature documenting the benefits of nature exposure and health [30, 31].”
BackgroundSwami, V., Barron, D. S., Weis, L., & Furnham, A. F. (2016) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.07.002 · Cited by 86
“Broadly speaking, this finding is consistent with previous work indicating that direct exposure to natural environments has positive effects on psychological well-being (e.g., Berman et al., 2008; Bowler et al., 2010; White et al., 2013).”
ResultEveryday wild: Urban natural areas, health, and well-being
Cheesbrough, A. E., Garvin, T. D., & Nykiforuk, C. I. J. (2019) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.01.005 · Cited by 82
Household Factors Influencing Participation in Bird Feeding Activity: A National Scale Analysis
Davies, Z. G., Fuller, R. A., Dallimer, M., Loram, A., & Gaston, K. J. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0039692 · Cited by 81
“The personal and societal gains are diverse, but include added health benefits when exercise is carried out in natural environments [14–15], improvements in self-reported general health [16–18], enhanced longevity [19], stress-relief [20], reduced mental fatigue [21], increased degree of social…”
Evaluating visual and auditory contributions to the cognitive restoration effect
Emfield, A. G., & Neider, M. B. (2014) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00548 · Cited by 80
“ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE published: 05 June 2014 doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00548 Evaluating visual and auditory contributions to the cognitive restoration effect”
MethodResultInfluentialReview of the Mental Health and Well-being Benefits of Biodiversity
Marselle, M. R., Martens, D., Dallimer, M., & Irvine, K. N. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-02318-8_9 · Cited by 83
The effect of the physical environment and levels of activity on affective states
Kinnafick, F., & Thøgersen‐Ntoumani, C. (2014) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2014.02.007 · Cited by 81
Silva, R. A., Rogers, K. R., & Buckley, T. J. (2018) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/acs.est.8b01781 · Cited by 80
Buchecker, M., & Degenhardt, B. (2015) · Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism · doi:10.1016/j.jort.2015.06.007 · Cited by 79
“…are considerably lower than the short-term effects of visits to natural environments on emotional well-being that have been measured in a number of experimental studies (Barton & Pretty, 2010; Bowler et al., 2010; Martens et al., 2011), in which the confounding variables are implicitly controlled.”
Background“It's like a different world”: Natural places, post-secondary students, and mental health
Windhorst, E., & Williams, A. (2015) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.06.002 · Cited by 78
Norton, C. L., Tucker, A. R., Russell, K. C., Bettmann, J. E., Gass, M. A., Gillis, H. L. “., & Behrens, E. N. (2014) · Journal of Experiential Education · doi:10.1177/1053825913518895 · Cited by 77
Scholz, T., Hof, A., & Schmitt, T. (2018) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su10030712 · Cited by 77
Biophilic campus: An emerging planning approach for a sustainable innovation-conducive university
Abdelaal, M. S. (2019) · Journal of Cleaner Production · doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.185 · Cited by 77
Adherence to exercise and affective responses
Lacharité-Lemieux, M., Brunelle, J.-P., & Dionne, I. J. (2014) · Menopause The Journal of The North American Menopause Society · doi:10.1097/gme.0000000000000366 · Cited by 89
Weimann, H., Rylander, L., Albin, M., Skärbäck, E., Grahn, P., Östergren, P.-O., & Björk, J. (2015) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.02.003 · Cited by 76
“Availability and quality of green areas in neighbourhood environments have been associated with general and mental health (Alcock et al., 2014; Björk et al., 2008; Bowler et al., 2010; de Jong et al., 2012; Maas et al., 2006; Stigsdotter et al., 2010; Sugiyama et al., 2008; van Dillen et al., 2011; White et al., 2013).”
BackgroundZepp, H., Groß, L., & Inostroza, L. (2020) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126603 · Cited by 76
Thygesen, M., Engemann, K., Holst, G. J., Hansen, B., Geels, C., Brandt, J. G., Pedersen, C. B., & Dalsgaard, S. (2020) · Environmental Health Perspectives · doi:10.1289/ehp6729 · Cited by 86
“Finally, research has suggested that green space reduces levels of air pollution, either simply because there is less tra ffi c in green areas or through the fi l-tering e ff ect of plants (dry deposition of pollutants) (Bowler et al. 2010; Dadvand et al. 2012, 2015b).”
Residential greenness and risk of prostate cancer: A case-control study in Montreal, Canada
Demoury, C., Thierry, B., Richard, H., Sigler, B., Kestens, Y., & Parent, M. (2016) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2016.10.024 · Cited by 81
“Evidence is accruing for a bene fi cial effect of a natural outdoor environment in health (Bowler et al., 2010).”
BackgroundEnhanced functional connectivity properties of human brains during in-situ nature experience
Chen, Z., He, Y., & Yu, Y. (2016) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.2210 · Cited by 74
“INTRODUCTION Evidence has suggested that, compared to urban exposure, nature exposure may have a restorative effect on human health and well-being (Bowler et al., 2010; Calogiuri & Chroni, 2014; Groenewegen et al., 2006; Velarde, Fry & Tveit, 2007), especially in regulating emotion (Capaldi, Dopko & Zelenski, 2014) an…”
BackgroundInfluentialYu, R., Wang, D., Leung, J. C. S., Lau, K. K., Kwok, T. C. Y., & Woo, J. (2018) · Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2017.12.015 · Cited by 75
Exploring the Relationship between Urban Quiet Areas and Perceived Restorative Benefits
Payne, S. R., & Bruce, N. S. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16091611 · Cited by 79
Thompson, C. W., Roe, J. J., & Aspinall, P. (2013) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.02.001 · Cited by 75
van den Bosch, M. A., Östergren, P., Grahn, P., Skärbäck, E., & Währborg, P. (2015) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph120707974 · Cited by 93
“Whereas it has usually been suggested that “the more the merrier” and that access to or levels of green spaces, without further definition, is related to better health [6,49] we did not find this general association, although we found a specific nature quality (Serene) to be of a potentially specific value.”
BackgroundConniff, A., & Craig, T. P. (2016) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2016.06.019 · Cited by 74
Factors associated with changes in subjective well-being immediately after urban park visit
Yuen, H. K., & Jenkins, G. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Health Research · doi:10.1080/09603123.2019.1577368 · Cited by 79
“conditions, including in urban parks, on the enhancement of well-being (Barton and Pretty, 2010; Bowler et al. 2010; Thompson Coon et al. 2011).”
BackgroundInfluentialNo visit, no interest: How COVID-19 has affected public interest in world's national parks
Souza, C. N., Rodrigues, A. C., Correia, R. A., Normande, I. C., Costa, H. C. M., Guedes‐Santos, J., Malhado, A. C. M., Carvalho, A. R., & Ladle, R. J. (2021) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109015 · Cited by 74
Ma, J., Lin, P., & Williams, J. M. (2023) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-023-05112-z · Cited by 94
“…of “nature contact” on well-being and mental health is supported by a growing evidential corpus, which several reviews have addressed (e.g., Bowler et al., 2010; Capaldi et al., 2015; Gascon et al., 2015; Hartig et al., 2014; Health Council Netherlands, 2004; Ohly et al., 2016; Pritchard…”
Green space, social inequalities and neonatal mortality in France
Kihal, W., Padilla, C. M., Lalloué, B., Gelormini, M., Zmirou‐Navier, D., & Deguen, S. (2013) · BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth · doi:10.1186/1471-2393-13-191 · Cited by 78
Pasanen, T., Ojala, A., Tyrväinen, L., & Korpela, K. (2018) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2018.08.014 · Cited by 75
Li, H., Ding, Y., Zhao, B. Q., Xu, Y., & Wei, W. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1058177 · Cited by 81
“The search terms were derived from previous reviews on the natural environment and psychological well-being (Bowler et al., 2010; McMahan and Estes, 2015; Jo et al., 2019; Roberts et al., 2019; Browning M. H. E. M. et al., 2020; Yao et al., 2021; Frost et al., 2022).”
BackgroundMethodResidential green space and birth outcomes in a coastal setting
Glazer, K. B., Eliot, M., Danilack, V. A., Carlson, L., PHIPPS, M. G., Dadvand, P., Savitz, D. A., & Wellenius, G. A. (2018) · Environmental Research · doi:10.1016/j.envres.2018.01.006 · Cited by 73
“…green space has been positively associated with overall self-perceived health (Maas et al., 2006) and with better mental (Alcock et al., 2014; Bowler et al., 2010; Gascon et al., 2015) and physical health and wellbeing (James et al., 2015; Lee and Maheswaran, 2011;…”
BackgroundInfluentialGao, J., Hou, H., Zhai, Y., Woodward, A. J., Vardoulakis, S., Kovats, S. R., Wilkinson, P., Li, L., Song, X., Xu, L., et al. (2018) · Environmental Pollution · doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2018.05.011 · Cited by 74
The role of green infrastructures in Italian cities by linking natural and social capital
Valente, D., Pasimeni, M. R., & Petrosillo, I. (2019) · Ecological Indicators · doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105694 · Cited by 73
Life Course, Green Space and Health: Incorporating Place into Life Course Epidemiology
Pearce, J., Shortt, N., Rind, E., & Mitchell, R. (2016) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph13030331 · Cited by 70
“Thematic and systematic reviews of observational and experimental studies provide tentative support for a connection between green space and a range of health outcomes including physical activity (and related outcomes), mental health and wellbeing, and perceived general health [1–3].”
BackgroundHealth Benefits Derived from Forest: A Review
Grilli, G., & Sacchelli, S. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17176125 · Cited by 75
“[14] collected all studies specifically designed to understand the effect of urban green spaces on rest in a systematic meta-analysis and found that all primary sources identified some degree of effectiveness of green spaces on human health.”
BackgroundDoes urbanization affect the seasonal dynamics of bird communities in urban parks?
Leveau, L. M., & Leveau, C. M. (2016) · Urban Ecosystems · doi:10.1007/s11252-016-0525-5 · Cited by 75
Park, S.-A., Song, C., Oh, Y.-A., Miyazaki, Y., & Son, K.-C. (2017) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph14091087 · Cited by 74
Optimization of jet impingement heat transfer: A review on advanced techniques and parameters
Barewar, S. D., Joshi, M., Sharma, P. O., Kalos, P. S., Bakthavatchalam, B., Chougule, S. S., Habib, K., & Saha, S. K. (2023) · Thermal Science and Engineering Progress · doi:10.1016/j.tsep.2023.101697 · Cited by 71
No time to lose – Green the cities now
van den Bosch, M. A., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2016) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2016.11.025 · Cited by 78
Barrett, M., Combs, V., Su, J. G., Henderson, K., Tuffli, M., & Collaborative, T. A. L. (2018) · Health Affairs · doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1315 · Cited by 71
Pasanen, T. P., Neuvonen, M., & Korpela, K. M. (2018) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0013916517720261 · Cited by 70
Nature-based interventions in institutional and organisational settings: a scoping review
Moeller, C., KING, N. M., Burr, V., Gibbs, G. R., & Gomersall, T. (2018) · International Journal of Environmental Health Research · doi:10.1080/09603123.2018.1468425 · Cited by 84
“These include positive effects for specific groups, such as people with dementia (de Bruin et al. 2015), clinical depression (Gonzalez et al. 2011) and cancer (Cimprich and Ronis 2003), as well as more general impacts (e.g. (Bowler et al. 2010).”
BackgroundWeijs-Perrée, M., Dane, G., & van den Berg, P. V. D. (2020) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su12197921 · Cited by 62
“For example, it is recognized, based on an extensive literature review, that physical activity in a natural environment leads to more positive emotions [29].”
BackgroundNoseworthy, M. W., Peddie, L., Buckler, E. J., Park, F., Pham, M., Pratt, S., Singh, A., Puterman, E. M., & Liu-Ambrose, T. Y. L. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20031669 · Cited by 85
Enhancing the well-being of veterans using extended group-based nature recreation experiences
Duvall, J., & Kaplan, R. (2014) · The Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development · doi:10.1682/jrrd.2013.08.0190 · Cited by 75
Cedervall, Y., Torres, S., & Åberg, A. C. (2014) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2014.962004 · Cited by 69
“This form of self has been shown to persist even in the later stages of dementia (Caddell & Clare, 2010).”
BackgroundPilotti, M., Klein, E., Golem, D. L., Piepenbrink, E., & Kaplan, K. (2014) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0013916514533187 · Cited by 69
“However, if the beneficial impact of nature on affect is less shortlived than that on arousal, as some evidence suggests (see Bowler et al., 2010), self-reported affect might be more positive at the end of the experiment than at baseline (see Bowler et al., 2010; Hartig et al., 2003).”
BackgroundMorton, T. A., van der Bles, A. M., & Haslam, S. A. (2016) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2016.11.002 · Cited by 76
Occupational engagement as a constraint on restoration during leisure time in forest settings
von Lindern, E., Bauer, N., Frick, J., Hunziker, M., & Hartig, T. (2013) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.03.001 · Cited by 69
Gardening for therapeutic people-plant interactions during long-duration space missions
Odeh, R., & Guy, C. L. (2017) · Open Agriculture · doi:10.1515/opag-2017-0001 · Cited by 69
Eye movements in viewing urban images and natural images in diverse vegetation periods
Franěk, M., Petružálek, J., & Šefara, D. (2019) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126477 · Cited by 66
Subiza‐Pérez, M., Pasanen, T., Ratcliffe, E., Lee, K., Bornioli, A., de Bloom, J., & Korpela, K. (2021) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101706 · Cited by 71
Effects of Indoor Plants on Human Functions: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses
Han, K.-T., Ruan, L.-W., & Liao, L.-S. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19127454 · Cited by 82
Greenspaces And Cardiovascular Health
Keith, R. J., Hart, J. L., & Bhatnagar, A. (2024) · Circulation Research · doi:10.1161/circresaha.124.323583 · Cited by 73
My garden – my mate? Perceived restorativeness of private gardens and its predictors
Cervinka, R., Schwab, M., Schönbauer, R., Hämmerle, I., Pirgie, L., & Sudkamp, J. (2016) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2016.01.013 · Cited by 68
The effect of green walking on heart rate variability: a pilot crossover study
de Brito, J. N., Pope, Z. C., Mitchell, N. R., Schneider, I. E., Larson, J. M., Horton, T. H., & Pereira, M. A. (2020) · Environmental Research · doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109408 · Cited by 67
Mostajeran, F., Fischer, M., Steinicke, F., & Kühn, S. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-26750-6 · Cited by 78
Silva, A. L., de Matos, M. A. V., & Gonçalves, M. (2023) · Journal of Environmental Planning and Management · doi:10.1080/09640568.2023.2227761 · Cited by 74
Pocock, M. J. O., Evans, D. M., Fontaine, C., Harvey, M. C., Julliard, R., McLaughlin, Ó. B., SILVERTOWN, J. W., Tamaddoni‐Nezhad, A., White, P. C. L., & Bohan, D. A. (2016) · Advances in ecological research/Advances in Ecological Research · doi:10.1016/bs.aecr.2015.10.006 · Cited by 69
“the impetus of global threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, but engagement with nature also impacts positively on individuals (Bowler et al., 2010).”
BackgroundTracking Restoration of Park and Urban Street Settings in Coronary Artery Disease Patients
Gražulevičienė, R., Venclovienė, J., Kubilius, R., Grižas, V., Danilevičiūtė, A., Dėdelė, A., Andrušaitytė, S., Vitkauskienė, A., Steponavičiūtė, R., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2016) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph13060550 · Cited by 67
“While there is some evidence that exposure to a natural environment may improve mood and reduce stress, the effect of green space exposure on physiological responses has been proven to be inconsistent [3,4].”
BackgroundResultvan den Berg, M., van Poppel, M. N. M., Smith, G., Mas, M. T., Andrušaitytė, S., KAMP, I. V., van Mechelen, W., Gidlow, C. J., Gražulevičienė, R., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., et al. (2017) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2017.04.010 · Cited by 67
“Many experimental studies have indicated that exposure to natural or green environments, as opposed to built environments, positively affects mood and helps people to recover from stress and mental fatigue (Bowler et al., 2010; Bratman et al., 2012; Health Council of the Netherlands, 2004).”
BackgroundResidential neighborhood greenery and children's cognitive development
Reuben, A., Arseneault, L., Belsky, D. W., Caspi, A., Fisher, H. L., Houts, R., Moffitt, T. E., & Odgers, C. L. (2019) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.04.029 · Cited by 78
“and learning, particularly in urban spaces with high stressor loads (Bowler et al. 2010; Dadvand et al. 2015; Kuo 2015; Lee and Maheswaran 2011; Shanahan et al. 2015).”
BackgroundLow Childhood Nature Exposure is Associated with Worse Mental Health in Adulthood
Preuß, M., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Márquez, S., Cirach, M., Dadvand, P., Mas, M. T., Gidlow, C. J., Gražulevičienė, R., Kruize, H., & Zijlema, W. L. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16101809 · Cited by 80
O'Callaghan-Gordo, C., Kogevinas, M., Cirach, M., Castaño-Vinyals, G., Aragonés, N., Delfrade, J., Fernández-Villa, T., Amiano, P., Dierssen-Sotos, T., Tardon, A., et al. (2018) · International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health · doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.07.014 · Cited by 63
Happiness with rural experience: Exploring the role of tourist mindfulness as a moderator
Loureiro, S. M. C., Breazeale, M. J., & Radic, A. (2019) · Journal Of Vacation Marketing · doi:10.1177/1356766719849975 · Cited by 79
“Multiple interactions—among participants and between participants and owners, and with the environment—during the experience have been positively associated with happiness (ecological theory) (Bowler et al., 2010).”
Background
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 ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
