The impacts of nature connectedness on children's well-being: Systematic literature review

Arola, Terhi; Aulake, Marianne; Отт, А. В.; Lindholm, Matti; Kouvonen, Petra; Virtanen, Petri; Paloniemi, Riikka

doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101913

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 104 publications

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“…Although the aspect of emotional functioning remains uncertain, previous reviews in relevant populations have shown positive outcomes in emotional functioning and subjective well-being associated with NBIs. These outcomes include improved psychological well-being, 14 enhanced selfesteem and resilience, overall well-being, 37 and mental health. 38 It is recommended that future research continue to address this outcome gap.…”

Section: Implications For Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 Evidence of improved health-related outcomes following interacting with nature has been demonstrated in different populations. 14,[37][38][39][40][41][42][43] However, to our knowledge, no systematic review of NBIs has been conducted that explicitly focused on children with ASD. Based on the available literature, NBIs have the potential to address health and functional outcome gaps among children with ASD, particularly regarding subjective well-being.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…NBIs for children with ASD in the existing literature are typically classified either as animal-assisted interventions or categorized under the other category . Evidence of improved health-related outcomes following interacting with nature has been demonstrated in different populations . However, to our knowledge, no systematic review of NBIs has been conducted that explicitly focused on children with ASD.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nature-Based Interventions for Autistic Children

Fan,

Li,

et al. 2023

JAMA Netw Open

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ImportanceThere is a gap in the evidence regarding nature-based interventions (NBIs) for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).ObjectiveTo systematically review and meta-analyze available evidence on the health-related outcomes in NBIs for children with ASD.Data SourcesThe Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane, Embase, Emcare, Education Resources Information Center, Global Health, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were searched from inception until May 2023. Google Scholar and references from included studies were searched for additional studies.Study SelectionIncluded studies were randomized clinical trials (RCTs), controlled studies, and single-group before-and-after studies that reported health-related outcomes.Data Extraction and SynthesisThis review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to synthesize the data. The findings of studies that were ineligible for meta-analysis were summarized according to the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWIM) reporting guidelines.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe outcomes of interest were health-related outcomes (ie, social functioning, behavioral functioning, emotional functioning, sensory functioning) and the self-reported well-being of children with ASD.ResultsA total of 24 studies with 717 participants (mean age range, 5.3 to 17.8 years; 141 [21.9%] female) were included. A meta-analysis from 13 studies indicated a significant negative moderate association between NBIs and social communication (standardized mean difference [SMD], −0.59; 95% CI, −0.85 to −0.34). For behavioral functioning outcomes, NBIs showed a significant moderate association with reduced hyperactivity (SMD, −0.56; 95% CI, −0.86 to −0.26) and a small to moderate association with reduced irritability (SMD, −0.49; 95% CI, −0.79 to −0.19). For sensory functioning, NBIs were significantly associated with improved inattention and distractibility (SMD, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.60). Significant moderate associations were observed in sensory seeking (SMD, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.33 to 1.22; P &lt; .001; I2 = 0%) and sensory sensitivity (SMD, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.12 to 1.00; P = .01; I2 = 0%). Heterogeneity of the intervention effects was not high, and I2 ranged from 0% to 67%.Conclusions and RelevanceThe findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggested an association of NBIs in group-based recreational therapy with experiential learning with positive short-term outcomes on sensory, social, and behavioral functioning for children with ASD. Future evidence using robust study design to aid the health and functional trajectories of children with ASD is recommended.

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Section: Implications For Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nature-Based Interventions for Autistic Children

Fan,

Li,

et al. 2023

JAMA Netw Open

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Public Health and Children’s Subjective Well-Being

Xu,

Li,

Wang

et al. 2024

Child Ind Res

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In recent years, the study of children's subjective well-being has garnered escalating global attention, with its research themes becoming increasingly diverse. However, this field still lacks a systematic review and analysis. Drawing upon the Web of Science database, this study retrieved 32,112 relevant articles published between 2003 and 2022, focusing on the theme of children's subjective well-being. After rigorous screening, 23,711 publications were ultimately retained for analysis. Utilizing bibliometric methods, this study conducted network visualization analysis across multiple dimensions, including countries, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords, aiming to comprehensively reveal the current research landscape of children's subjective well-being. Furthermore, theme modeling techniques were employed to delve into the patterns of theme evolution, and cluster analysis was conducted to categorize related themes. Through qualitative analysis, this study uncovered the developmental trajectory and future research directions in the field of children's subjective well-being. The findings indicate that, in the realm of children's subjective well-being research, developed countries such as those in Europe, America, and Australia have contributed over 30% of the research efforts, both in terms of publication volume and impact. Among them, the United States holds a leading position. The research themes have gradually evolved from an initial focus on the children themselves to exploring their surrounding environments and further delving into the psychological impacts and well-being of children amidst public health emergencies. Notably, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted scholars to delve deeper into children's well-being, shifting the focus of research from mere exploration of mental health to a more nuanced investigation of psychological impacts. Looking ahead, areas such as public health, psychological impacts, and children's dietary health will emerge as crucial directions for future exploration in the field of children's subjective well-being research, offering significant potential for investigation.

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