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2nd Edition of Forest for Human Health and Welfare

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 March 2023) | Viewed by 24907

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Prof. Dr. Won-Sop Shin

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Guest Editor

School of Forest Resources, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju-si 361-763, Republic of Korea
Interests: forest therapy; social forestry; forest recreation; forest welfare; forest education; psychological benefits of forest/nature use; forest/nature and public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Bum-Jin Park

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Guest Editor

Department of Environment and Forest Resources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseonggu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
Interests: forest and human health; design of therapeutic forest
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests provide a wide range of tangible or intangible benefits which can promote human welfare. In recent years, interest has grown in the relationship between direct or indirect human contact with forests and its effect on human health/welfare. With the rising awareness of the association between forests and human health/welfare, there are now many health interventions where forests play an integral part.

Some months ago, we organized the first edition of this Special Issue (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/Forest_Health_Welfare). It was a great success, with 13 papers published. We believe that this topic is still of significant interest, and this is why we are launching this second edition that invites articles covering the wide range of effects from direct/indirect contact with forests, forest-based interventions, or therapy programs. In particular, we are interested in receiving high-quality and novel original articles, systematic reviews, or meta-analyses that may provide important information about forest and human health/welfare. Contributions may focus on one or more of the following areas:

Empirical support for the effects of forest use/intervention and human health/welfare;
Social and economic impacts of forest use and management in human health/welfare;
Why and how forests contribute to human health and welfare, especially in preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical, social, psychological welfare;
Effects of indirect use of forests or virtual forest experiences;
Methodological innovation for evaluating human health/welfare effects from forests;
Measuring economic benefits for using forests for human health/welfare.

Prof. Dr. Won-Sop Shin
Prof. Dr. Bum-Jin Park
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

forest/human health
therapeutic forest benefits
forest therapy
forest bathing
forest based intervention
forest/human welfare

Related Special Issue

Forest for Human Health and Welfare in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (16 articles)

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 345 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Perceptions, Preferences, and Participation Intention of Urban Forest Healing Program among Cancer Survivors

by Eun Young Park, Min Kyung Song and Sang Yi Baek

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1604; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021604 - 16 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1313

Abstract

It is important to manage the health of cancer survivors who have returned to their daily lives. An increasing number of cancer survivors are undertaking health care in forests near their residences. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the perceptions of forest healing and the program preferences of adult cancer survivors. Data were collected from 388 female cancer survivors through an online survey. Breast cancer survivors comprised 66.2%, and 63.6% of the study participants were diagnosed with cancer within 2 to 5 years prior to the study. The subjective health status was 2.68 ± 0.61 out of 4 points. Of the participants, 62.1% had heard of forest healing and 65.7% intended to participate in the forest healing program. Participants who frequently visited the forest were more likely to participate in the forest healing program in the future than those who rarely visited the forest. A survey among 255 people on specific preferences for the program found that the regular visit type was preferred over the one-time visit type. These results are meaningful because they can be used as a basis for the development of a forest treatment program that reflects the needs of cancer survivors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Forest for Human Health and Welfare)

13 pages, 1165 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Factors and Relationships Influencing Forest Hiking Exercise Characteristics after COVID-19 Occurrence: At Seoul Metropolitan Area and in Hikers’ 20s and 30s

by Bobae Lee, Poungsik Yeon and Seoncheol Park

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16403; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416403 - 7 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1722

Abstract

The growing interest and usage of green space during the pandemic relates to why greenery increases enjoyment of daily life and alleviates troubles arising from infectious periods. However, it is necessary to understand what reactions to the degree of COVID-19’s spread were expressed in hiking exercise characteristics (hiking frequency, actual movement distance, average speed, total exercise time). To understand the progress of forest usage behavior during the pandemic, we analyzed factors influencing hiking exercise characteristics and relationships between those factors and hiking exercise characteristics. Hiking record data were obtained (2019–2020) from the workout app “Tranggle” pertaining to hikers in their 20s and 30s who visited the 13 mountains in the Seoul Metropolitan Area most frequently. The differences in hiking exercise characteristics (2019 data subtracted from 2020) were linked with factor data that could be related to them, including the degree of COVID-19’s spread (

R_{t}

). To explore relationships between hiking exercise characteristics and factors, we developed four models with a linear mixed model. We found that

R_{t}

, week, weekdays/weekends, and

{PM}_{10}

contributed to explaining the hiking exercise characteristics’ differences. As a result of this analysis, the degree of COVID-19’s spread (

R_{t}

) affected hiking frequency; the week affected hiking frequency and actual movement distance; weekdays or weekends affected hiking frequency, actual movement distance, average speed, and total exercise time; and

{PM}_{10}

affected hiking frequency. These findings indicate that hiking was an alternative way for those looking for a new strategy to replace lost opportunities for physical activity. Therefore, we conclude that it is necessary to induce the usage of green space so that many people can take advantage of the functions and benefits of greenery, which stood out during the pandemic era. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Forest for Human Health and Welfare)

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13 pages, 1456 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spending Time in the Forest or the Field: Investigations on Stress Perception and Psychological Well-Being—A Randomized Cross-Over Trial in Highly Sensitive Persons

by Katja Oomen-Welke, Evelyn Schlachter, Tina Hilbich, Johannes Naumann, Alexander Müller, Thilo Hinterberger and Roman Huber

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15322; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215322 - 19 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3105

Abstract

Research suggests that stays in a forest promote relaxation and reduce stress compared to spending time in a city. The aim of this study was to compare stays in a forest with another natural environment, a cultivated field. Healthy, highly sensitive persons (HSP, SV12 score > 18) aged between 18 and 70 years spent one hour in the forest and in the field at intervals of one week. The primary outcome was measured using the Change in Subjective Self-Perception (CSP-14) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were measured using the Profile Of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire and by analyzing salivary cortisol. We randomized 43 participants. Thirty-nine were allocated and included in the intention-to-treat analysis (90% female, mean age 45 years). CSP-14 in part showed significant differences—total score (p = 0.054, Cohen’s d = 0.319), item “integration” (p = 0.028, Cohen’s d = 0.365)—favoring the effects of the forest. These effects were more pronounced in summer (August). In October, during rainfall, we detected no relevant differences. POMS only showed a significant difference in the subcategory “depression/anxiety” in favor of the field. The amount of cortisol in saliva was not different between the groups. A short-term stay in a forest in summer caused a greater improvement in mood and well-being in HSP than in a field. This effect was not detectable during bad weather in the fall. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Forest for Human Health and Welfare)

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19 pages, 9308 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Modeling Approach for Quantifying Human-Beneficial Terpene Emission in the Forest: A Pilot Study Applying to a Recreational Forest in South Korea

by Kwanghun Choi, Dongwook W. Ko, Ki Weon Kim and Man Yong Shin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8278; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148278 - 6 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1400

Abstract

(1) Background: Recent economic developments in South Korea have shifted people’s interest in forests from provisioning to cultural services such as forest healing. Although policymakers have attempted to designate more forests for healing purposes, there are few established standards for carrying out such designations based on the quantified estimation. (2) Methods: We suggest a modeling approach to estimate and analyze the emission rate of human-beneficial terpenes. For this purpose, we adopted and modified the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN), a commonly used biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) estimation model which was suitable for estimating the study site’s terpene emissions. We estimated the terpene emission rate for the whole year and analyzed the diurnal and seasonal patterns. (3) Results: The results from our model correspond well with other studies upon comparing temporal patterns and ranges of values. According to our study, the emission rate of terpenes varies significantly temporally and spatially. The model effectively predicted spatiotemporal patterns of terpene emission in the study site. (4) Conclusions: The modeling approach in our study is suitable for quantifying human-beneficial terpene emission and helping policymakers and forest managers plan the efficient therapeutic use of forests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Forest for Human Health and Welfare)

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19 pages, 1920 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Forest Users’ Stress on Perceived Restorativeness, Forest Recreation Motivation, and Mental Well-Being during COVID-19 Pandemic

by Don-Gak Lee, Jin-Gun Kim, Bum-Jin Park and Won Sop Shin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6675; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116675 - 30 May 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2075

Abstract

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has discouraged travel and people’s movements, the number of visitors to forests near cities which are easily accessible by private vehicle is increasing in Korea. This study aims to investigate the relationship between stress, perceived restorativeness, forest recreation motivation, and the mental well-being of forest users. A survey of forest users was conducted at three recreational forests near Seoul in the summer of 2020. A total of 1196 forest users (613 males and 583 females) participated in the study. As a result of the data analysis, it was found that stress had a negative correlation with perceived restorativeness, forest recreation motivation, and mental well-being; perceived restorativeness had a positive correlation with mental well-being, and forest recreation motivation had a positive correlation with mental well-being. For the relationship between stress and mental well-being, the fitness index that was mediated by the perceived restorativeness and the forest recreation motivation found that the model was statistically suitable. Through this study, a research model was derived that, if the stress of forest users is reduced, direct or indirect effects on perceived restorativeness, forest recreation motivation, and mental well-being are increased. Further, a multi-group analysis found that the effect of perceived restorativeness and forest recreation motivation on the mental well-being of the male group was higher than the effect on the female group. Using this research model to find ways to promote health in forests can be utilized for forest management or forest healing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Forest for Human Health and Welfare)

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11 pages, 610 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Priority Analysis of Educational Needs of Forest Healing Instructors Related to Programs for Cancer Survivors: Using Borich Needs Assessment and the Locus for Focus Model

by Kwang-Hi Park and Min Kyung Song

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5376; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095376 - 28 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1781

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the priority of educational needs to strengthen the competency of forest healing instructors who operate forest healing programs for cancer survivors. A survey was conducted with 91 forest healing instructors using a questionnaire. The average perceived importance of the forest healing program for cancer survivors of forest healing instructors was higher compared to the average knowledge of the forest healing instructors. The Borich needs assessment model showed the highest educational need in the domains of “Cancer survivors’ overview” and “Health status screening method”. In addition, deriving the priority of educational needs using the Borich needs assessment model and the focus trajectory model revealed that the highest priority was for “Health status screening method” and “Effective communication with cancer survivors”. These results can be used as basic data for developing a forest healing instructors training program for cancer survivors that reflects the instructors’ needs and the characteristics of cancer survivors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Forest for Human Health and Welfare)

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12 pages, 2495 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physiological and Psychological Relaxation Effects of Fir Essential Oil on University Students

by Choyun Kim and Chorong Song

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5063; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095063 - 21 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2733

Abstract

Numerous studies have reported a significant increase in stress experienced by students owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, interest in stress management using nature-derived substances has increased. However, studies examining the effects of olfactory stimulation by fir are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological and psychological effects of inhaling fir essential oil. Additionally, differences between male and female participants were compared. Twenty-six university students (16 female and 10 male students; mean age, 21.5 ± 1.9 years) participated in this study. Fir essential oil was used for olfactory stimulation, with normal room air as the control. The odor was administered for 3 min. Heart rate variability and heart rate were used as indicators of autonomic nervous system activity. The Profile of Mood States and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were used as psychological indicators. The ln(Low Frequency/High Frequency) ratio, which is an indicator of sympathetic nervous activity reflecting a stressful or aroused state during stimulation with fir essential oil, was significantly lower than during the control condition. Assessment of psychological indicators showed that the positive mood of “vigor” improved significantly and negative moods of “tension–anxiety”, “depression”, “anger–hostility”, “fatigue” and anxiety levels reduced significantly after inhaling fir essential oil compared to the control condition. This study showed that inhalation of fir essential oil has physiologically and psychologically relaxing effects, with differences in results depending on the sex of the participants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Forest for Human Health and Welfare)

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20 pages, 3586 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Empirical Study of the Restoration Potential of Urban Deciduous Forest Space to Youth

by Linjia Wu, Qidi Dong, Shixian Luo, Yanling Li, Yuzhou Liu, Jiani Li, Zhixian Zhu, Mingliang He, Yuhang Luo and Qibing Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3453; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063453 - 15 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2925

Abstract

Urban deciduous forests are an important ecological resource and seasonal landscape in the urban environment. However, in the abundant literature on how urban green space promotes human health and well-being, research on urban seasonal deciduous forests is limited. This study aimed to investigate the physiological and psychological recovery potential provided of urban deciduous forest space for youths and the spatial preferences of youths regarding such spaces. We recruited 120 participants to study the restorative potential of two typical urban deciduous forest landscape spaces (experimental groups) and one urban road environment (control group). The results showed that after 15 min of observation, the blood pressure (especially the diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.01)) and pulse of the deciduous forest trail setting (DFTS) group effectively decreased, and the restorative mood significantly increased. Regarding change in emotional parameters, the DFTS group scored higher on “interest” and significantly higher than the other two groups on positive emotion. The correlation results show that density and level are the key factors affecting spatial preferences regarding complex deciduous forests. An increase in density reduces the mood of re-laxation, and an increase in level decreases fatigue and interest. We suggest (1) constructing foot-paths in urban deciduous forests to reduce their spatial density as to improve the relaxation effect and (2) increasing landscape diversity according to the forest space to facilitate user participation and interest. This study provides a scientific basis for the environmental restoration of deciduous landscapes and for urban forestry management decision-makers based on space type construction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Forest for Human Health and Welfare)

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Review

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20 pages, 7101 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Effects of Forest Therapy on the Blood Pressure and Salivary Cortisol Levels of Urban Residents: A Meta-Analysis

by Quan Qiu, Ling Yang, Mei He, Wen Gao, Harrison Mar, Jiyue Li and Guangyu Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010458 - 27 Dec 2022

Viewed by 3511

Abstract

Urban residents have a higher risk of hypertension and psychological stress than rural residents. Aside from medical interventions, understanding how to control hypertension and alleviate the stress of urban populations has become a public concern. As an alternative medical measure, forest therapy has shown the effects of normalizing blood pressure (BP) and reducing stress increasingly in recent literature, but this is still inconclusive. In order to systematically verify forest therapy’s effects on the BP and mental stress of urban residents, we conducted meta-analyses to assess the changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and salivary cortisol concentration (SCC; a stress biomarker) between the forest therapy group and urban control group. We searched 4 online databases, and 21 studies on BP involving 2270 participants and 13 studies on SCC involving 1786 participants were included. Through the meta-analysis, the mean difference and confidence interval (CI) estimates indicated that forest therapy significantly reduced participants’ SBP −3.44 (95% CI −5.74, −1.14), DBP −3.07 (95% CI −5.59, −0.54), and SCC −0.07 (95% CI −0.10, −0.04), as compared with urban control. Yet, there was substantial heterogeneity (I² = 72.87–88.59%) among these studies. We also found that each prediction interval (PI) for SBP (95% PI −13.30, 6.42), DBP (95% PI −15.54, 9.41), and SCC (95% PI −0.18, 0.05) were all much wider than the CIs and contained values above 0. This means that forest therapy may reduce SBP, DBP, and SCC on average, but may not exclude adverse results. Meta-regression analyses showed that participants’ age and baseline SBP levels determined the heterogeneity among SBP studies. After forest therapy, older participants and those with higher baseline SBP levels had greater SBP-lowering effects. Among DBP studies, the primary source of heterogeneity was participants’ baseline DBP levels; participants with higher baseline DBP levels had greater DBP reduction. In subgroup analyses, we discovered that longer-term forest therapy programs (≥20 min) resulted in a greater reduction in BP and SCC than shorter-term forest therapy programs (<20 min). Additionally, seated viewing, walking, or multi-session programs in forests were observed to have similar effects on reducing BP and SCC. Despite extensive analyses, the study did not identify any sources of heterogeneity among forest therapy programs for lowering SCC levels. Overall, we conclude that forest therapy programs have beneficial therapeutic effects on urban residents’ physio-psychological health through lowering BP and relieving stress (reducing SCC). This finding provides solid evidence of the contribution of forest therapy to urban residents’ health and wellbeing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Forest for Human Health and Welfare)

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21 pages, 2050 KiB

Open AccessReview

Does Forest Therapy Have Physio-Psychological Benefits? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

by Yunjeong Yi, Eunju Seo and Jiyeon An

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10512; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710512 - 24 Aug 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3247

Abstract

Forest therapy involves visiting forests or conducting forest-based treatment activities to improve one’s health. Studies have investigated the health benefits of forests, but consensus has not been reached. This study comprised a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine how forest therapy affects the physiological and psychological health of adults. The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, and Medline databases were searched on 31 August 2021. Systematic review and meta-analysis, risk evaluation, GRADE evaluation, and advertisement effect evaluation were performed for each article. The effect size was calculated by dividing blood pressure as a physiological indicator and depression as a psychological indicator. Of the 16,980 retrieved studies, 17 were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Of these, eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. The effect size of forest therapy on improving systolic and diastolic blood pressure was not significant; however, it significantly reduced depression. While the results have limited generalizability due to the inclusion of few studies, the effects of forest therapy on reducing depression have been confirmed. Since the application of forest therapy was heterogeneous in these studies, a moderator effect analysis or subgroup analysis in meta-analysis should be performed in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition of Forest for Human Health and Welfare)

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