Assessing the Effects of Nature on Physiological States Using Wearable Technologies

Abstract

Nature therapy and forest bathing (FB) have been shown to have quantifiable positive effects on human health, but the physiological effects of a guided interactive nature activity remain unexplored. Autonomic nervous system responses to a guided nature walk (Nature Break) were assessed through the continuous measurement of the electrodermal activity (EDA), fingertip temperature, and heart rate (HR) of n = 48 participants, using a wearable sensor. Psychological distress was assessed before and after the activity using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) for n = 38 (24 females, 14 males, mean age = 43.55 ± 11.61 years) participants. The negative dimensions of POMS decreased and the positive (vigor) dimensions increased following a Nature Break. Significant differences were found across all of the physiological features, with some differences occurring between the morning and afternoon groups and between different days. The participants’ mean HR decreased throughout the Nature Break. Our results suggest that interactive nature activities have positive psychological benefits and demonstrate the feasibility of using wearable sensors to monitor physiological responses in a naturalistic forest bathing activity.

Mapping of Research in the Field of Forest Therapy-Related Issues: A Bibliometric Analysis for 2007–2021

“…From the analysis results, we assumed that the forest therapy and related research have entered the third stage of the scientific research process in Shneider’s four-stage theory ( Shneider, 2009 ), where the current research has previously been biased toward the application of new tools for solving new problems after the creation of a new discipline and the development of new methods. Future researchers could, on the one hand, utilize new techniques to broaden the research scope, such as facial recognition software, wearable technologies, and immersive virtual environment techniques ( Liu P. et al, 2021 ; Fu et al, 2022 ; Jiang et al, 2022 ). On the other hand, analytic approaches to assessing the impacts of policy decisions on nature are also noteworthy, especially since they had been successfully applied as decision-making tools for introducing health into policies.…”

A Forest Bathing Intervention in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: A Feasibility Study Protocol

“…First, forest ecosystems have been long suggested as potential providers of non-pharmacological health interventions. Research in this field has been translated directly into various initiatives worldwide [ 46 , 53 , 54 , 55 ] as forest bathing has become increasingly popular for promoting active lifestyles, being prescribed by healthcare professionals and recommended by national and local associations [ 9 ]. However, its beneficial effects have not yet been proved in adults with intellectual disabilities, which could entail some relevant considerations during the design and application of this type of intervention.…”

“…Accumulated evidence confirms that forest bathing has quantifiable positive outcomes for individuals’ physical and mental health [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. The physiological health benefits include increases in the parasympathetic activity, which plays an important role in physical recovery [ 14 ]; the decrease of physiological biomarkers, such as cortisol levels and alpha-amylase; [ 15 ] and the lowering of heart rate and blood pressure [ 16 , 17 ].…”

Esports for Seniors: Acute Effects of Esports Gaming in the Community on the Emotional State and Heart Rate among Japanese Older Adults

“…Note that only the V scale has a positive value, while all other scales have a negative connotation. We analyzed that the V subscale score as the positive mood score and the sum of the scores for the other five subscales as the negative mood score, according to the methods of previous studies [ 25 , 26 ]. The vigor score represents mental and physical energy levels [ 27 ].…”