Winter is coming: Wintertime mindset and wellbeing in Norway

Leibowitz, Kari; Vittersø, Joar

doi:10.5502/ijw.v10i4.935

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Harmatz et al ( 2000 ) found depression, hostility, anger and irritability are highest in winter and lowest in summer with females having stronger seasonal variation in wellbeing than males. Some link seasonal variance on wellbeing, to variance in daylight hours and weather conditions, although wellbeing responses to such external factors are heterogeneous (Leibowitz and Vitterso 2020 ; Winthorst et al 2020 ).…”

Section: Prior Literaturesupporting

confidence: 84%

Seasonality and the female happiness paradox

Blanchflower

Bryson

2023

Qual Quant

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Most studies tracking wellbeing do not collect data across all the months in a year. This leads to error in estimating gender differences in wellbeing for three reasons. First, there are seasonal patterns in wellbeing (particularly life satisfaction and happiness) which are gendered, so failure to account for those confounds estimates of gender differences over time. Second, studies fielded in discrete parts of the year cannot extrapolate to gender differences in other parts of the year. Making inferences about trends over time is particularly problematic when a survey changes its field survey dates across years. Third, without monthly data, surveys miss big shifts in wellbeing that occur for short periods. This is a problem because women’s wellbeing is more variable over short periods of time than men’s wellbeing. It also bounces back faster. We show that simply splitting the data by months in a happiness equation generates a positive male coefficient in one subset of months from September to January and a negative coefficient in months February to August. Such a split has no impact on the male coefficients in an anxiety equation. Months matter.

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Section: Prior Literaturesupporting

confidence: 84%

Seasonality and the female happiness paradox

Blanchflower

Bryson

2023

Qual Quant

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“…The reasons for such unexpectedly low prevalences of SAD in these high latitude populations are uncertain. Some investigators have proposed that some northern populations may have adapted genetically or socially to the conditions (Guðrúnardóttir, 2018; Leibowitz & Vittersø, 2020; Magnusson & Partonen, 2005). Others question whether SAD is sufficiently rigorously defined and/or identified, given various limitations in study designs (e.g., recall bias, self‐selected study samples, comparison of cross‐sectional samples, not accounting for comorbidities and other possible confounders, highly variable between‐ and within‐individual expression and timing of various symptoms; Hansen et al, 2008; Karlsson, 2009; Melrose, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Well‐being in healthy Icelandic women varies with extreme seasonality in ambient light

Chester,

Kolacz,

Ake

et al. 2024

Int J Psychol

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Seasonal variation in photoperiod may affect psychosocial and physical well‐being in healthy persons. We tested this hypothesis in healthy pre‐menopausal women, without a history of mood disorders, living year‐round in Reykjavik, Iceland (64.1°N). Participants reported daily self‐assessments of well‐being throughout a complete ovulatory menstrual cycle in summer and/or winter (70% participated in both seasons). Scores for mood, cognitive acuity, social support, physical health and a composite of these four indicators were each significantly higher in summer than in winter (linear mixed effects models: p < .001 for each model); tiredness did not differ by season. The effect of season was not significantly changed by inclusion of body mass index and/or age as covariates. Some prior studies have been hampered by sparse time sampling, inattention to covariates and/or relying on recalled data. This is to our knowledge the first investigation to test the study hypothesis with daily real‐time data spanning complete ovulatory menstrual cycles in each of two seasons. This dense sampling has revealed modest seasonal variation in well‐being in healthy women. Daylength (sunlight exposure) is likely a major, but not necessarily sole, factor in these seasonal differences in well‐being; temperature is likely less important given Iceland's relatively moderate (for its high latitude) seasonal temperature swings.

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“…In future research, it may be worth further interrogating this aspect of our findings. For instance, it might be worth examining the moderating role of a positive wintertime mindset on body image outcomes in white natural environments [ 60 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of a Woodland Walk on Body Image: A Field Experiment and an Assessment of Dispositional and Environmental Determinants

Czepczor-Bernat

Modrzejewska

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Studies have shown that nature exposure is associated with a more positive body image, but field studies remain relatively infrequent. Here, we examine the impact of a woodland walk on an index of state positive body image (i.e., state body appreciation), as well as dispositional and environmental determinants of body image improvements. Eighty-seven Polish women went for a walk in Cygański Las, an ancient woodland, and completed a measure of state body appreciation before and after the walk. As hypothesised, state body appreciation was significantly higher post-walk compared to pre-walk (d = 0.56). Additionally, we found that the trait of self-compassion—but not the traits of connectedness to nature, perceived aesthetic qualities of the woodland, or subjective restoration—was significantly associated with larger improvements in state body appreciation. These results suggest that even relatively brief exposure to nature results in elevated state body appreciation, with the dispositional trait of self-compassion being associated with larger effects.

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Winter is coming: Wintertime mindset and wellbeing in Norway

Cited by 7 publications

References 31 publications

Seasonality and the female happiness paradox

Seasonality and the female happiness paradox

Well‐being in healthy Icelandic women varies with extreme seasonality in ambient light

The Impact of a Woodland Walk on Body Image: A Field Experiment and an Assessment of Dispositional and Environmental Determinants

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