Abstract
BackgroundThere 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.MethodsWe 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.ResultsTwenty-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.ConclusionsOverall, 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.
Highlights
There is increasing interest in the potential role of the natural environment in human health and well-being
Thirteen studies were potentially affected by confounding variables in their comparison of different environments, which arose from various factors such as the presence of additional stimuli in the synthetic environment
Public health planning needs to be informed by the evidence base for the effectiveness of interventions
Summary
There is increasing interest in the potential role of the natural environment in human health and well-being. Many have already invested resources in initiatives which use the natural environment, in some way, as a means of improving public health (e.g. British Trust for Conservation Volunteer’s Green Gym; Parks Victoria’s Graded Walks). There is some evidence that physical activity can have positive benefits for mental health, for instance, lowering depression. This may be through a combination of the physiological effects as well as participation in social activities and engagement with others [9,10,11]. A recent study that combined data from a range of different green exercise programs found consistent positive benefits [12]
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