Gender Variations in Wellbeing Indicators between Urban and Mountain Landscape Environments

Henry Ojobo,Sapura Mohamad,Ismail Said

doi:10.5539/enrr.v5n4p63

Henry Ojobo, Sapura Mohamad + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/enrr.v5n4p63

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Abstract

<p class="1Body">The issue of variations in physiological indicators of wellbeing based on gender serves as incentive for natural landscape environment interactions. This study examined gender variations in blood pressure, pulse rate and respiratory rate between contact with low-altitude urban (pretest) and mountain landscape environments (posttest). To attain the goal of this study, 38 respondents (16 males, 22 females) participated in the seven-day experimental study. Pretest and posttest measures of blood pressure, pulse rate and respiratory rate were elicited from both male and female respondents at the urban environment within the first three days and at the mountain landscape environment the following three days. Results show that both male and female systolic blood pressure increased at the mountain landscape environment while their diastolic blood pressure reduced marginally. There was no difference in gender response in terms of pulse rate. Conversely, male respondents experienced reduction of respiratory rate at the mountain landscape environment while female respondents experienced increase. Findings suggest that the only apparent difference in gender response is in their respiratory rate. The extent to which gender might be related to physiological wellbeing through contact with natural mountain landscape environment is revealed. Hence, a platform is set for policy makers and governments for the creative harnessing of mountain landscape environments.</p>

Highlights

Urbanization and job pressure constitute the main vehicles for stress in our modern day environments due to the absence of the calming and relaxing benefits of nature
This study examined gender variations in blood pressure, pulse rate and respiratory rate between contact with low-altitude urban and mountain landscape environments
A platform is set for policy makers and governments for the creative harnessing of mountain landscape environments

Summary

Introduction

Urbanization and job pressure constitute the main vehicles for stress in our modern day environments due to the absence of the calming and relaxing benefits of nature. Stress is viewed in terms of the ameliorating potentials of nature related environments (Hartig, Mitchell, De Vries, & Frumkin, 2014). Quite a number of studies have been carried out in the area of effects of nature experience on mental wellbeing (Bratman, Hamilton, & Daily, 2012; Kaplan, 1992; Russell et al, 2013). A key element of the health benefits of nature may be its stress reducing effect. This assumption is premised on the assertion by promoters of the Stress Recovery Theory (SRT) that contact with natural landscape environments permit emotional and physiological stress reduction (Berto, 2014; Bratman et al, 2012; Ulrich et al, 1991)

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