Changes in Heart Rate Variability and Effects on POMS by Whether or Not Soil Observation Was Performed

Kazuyo Hanyu,Hidetoshi Mori,Kenji Tamura

doi:10.4236/ojss.2014.41005

Abstract

Introduction: The effects of performing soil observation on autonomic nerve function (ANS) and the profile of mood states (POMS) particularly for upsurge of sentiment were studied table. Methods: The subjects were divided into two groups: Group A with soil observation, and Group B without it. Soil observation was performed by smelling soil, touching the soil and other ways. Evaluation was made using heart rate change variability, POMS and visual analog scale (VAS). Results: Group A showed an increase in high frequency (HF) and the LF (low frequency)/HF ratio and a decrease in heart rate, leading to activating the functions of the parasympathetic nervous system. VAS values for “not comforted at all” indicated that the scale was lower in Group A than in Group B. In POMS, a factor of “vigor” became lower in Group B than in Group A. Discussion: It was suggested that soil observation was effective in bringing people to a state of physiological and mental relaxation and reducing stress because it raised the degree of being comforted, increased HF, decreased the heart rate and activated the parasympathetic nervous system. Conclusions: By performing soil observation, the heart rate decreased, HF increased and an upsurge sentiment became normalized.

Highlights

The effects of performing soil observation on autonomic nerve function (ANS) and the profile of mood states (POMS) for upsurge of sentiment were studied table
Fukuda conducted a survey on Japanese second-grade senior high school students on whether they knew about and how much they understood various environmental issues, and the results indicate that they rarely knew that “soil is affected by humans,” nor do they knew about “soil formation and its purification capacity and buffer capacity” or that “surface soil is important.”
This study aims at clarifying the effect of soil observation on autonomic nerve system (ANS) function and the Profile of Mood States Brief Japanese Version (POMS) for upsurge of sentiment

Summary

Introduction

The effects of performing soil observation on autonomic nerve function (ANS) and the profile of mood states (POMS) for upsurge of sentiment were studied table. Results: Group A showed an increase in high frequency (HF) and the LF (low frequency)/HF ratio and a decrease in heart rate, leading to activating the functions of the parasympathetic nervous system. Discussion: It was suggested that soil observation was effective in bringing people to a state of physiological and mental relaxation and reducing stress because it raised the degree of being comforted, increased HF, decreased the heart rate and activated the parasympathetic nervous system. Conclusions: By performing soil observation, the heart rate decreased, HF increased and an upsurge sentiment became normalized. Miyazaki et al [3] clarified that involvement with nature, such as forest therapy, brings a state of physiological and mental relaxation.

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