Changes in Psychological and Cognitive Outcomes after Green versus Suburban Walking: A Pilot Crossover Study

Junia N. de Brito, Zachary C. Pope, Nathan R. Mitchell, Ingrid E. Schneider, Jean M. Larson, Teresa H. Horton and Mark A. Pereira
Additional contact information
Junia N. de Brito: Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S 2nd St, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Zachary C. Pope: Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S 2nd St, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Nathan R. Mitchell: Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S 2nd St, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Ingrid E. Schneider: Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, 1530 Cleveland Ave North, Suite 301b St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
Jean M. Larson: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, University of Minnesota, 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, MN 55318, USA
Teresa H. Horton: Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1819 Hinman Avenue, Rm 302 Evanston, IL 60208, USA
Mark A. Pereira: Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S 2nd St, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-12

Abstract: This study investigated the acute effects of repeated walking sessions within green and suburban environments on participants’ psychological (anxiety and mood) and cognitive (directed-attention) outcomes. Twenty-three middle-aged adults (19 female) participated in a non-randomized crossover study comprised of once-weekly 50-min moderate-intensity walking sessions. Participants walked for three weeks in each of two treatment conditions: green and suburban, separated by a two-week washout period. Eleven participants completed green walking first and 12 suburban walking first. For each walk, we used validated psychological questionnaires to measure pre- and post-walk scores for: (1) mood, evaluated via the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS); (2) anxiety, assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S); and (3) directed-attention, measured using the visual Backwards Digit Span test (BDS). Repeated measures linear mixed models assessed pre- to post-walk changes within-treatment conditions and post-walk contrasts between-treatment conditions. Results indicated that anxiety decreased after green walking and increased after suburban walking (−1.8 vs. +1.1 units, respectively; p = 0.001). For mood, positive affect improved after green walking and decreased after suburban walking (+2.3 vs. −0.3 units, respectively; p = 0.004), and negative affect decreased after green walking and remained similar after suburban walking (−0.5 vs. 0 units, respectively; p = 0.06). Directed-attention did not improve from pre- to post-walk for either condition. Our results suggested that green walking may be more effective at reducing state anxiety and increasing positive affect compared to suburban walking.

Keywords: green exercise; physical activity; anxiety; mood; directed-attention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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