Walking Green: Developing an Evidence Base for Nature Prescriptions

Elizabeth P.D. Koselka, Lucy C. Weidner, Arseniy Minasov, Marc G. Berman, William R. Leonard, Marianne V. Santoso, Junia N. de Brito, Zachary C. Pope, Mark A. Pereira and Teresa H. Horton
Additional contact information
Elizabeth P.D. Koselka: Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
Lucy C. Weidner: Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
Arseniy Minasov: Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
Marc G. Berman: Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 5848 S. University Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
William R. Leonard: Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
Marianne V. Santoso: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, 244 Garden Ave, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
Junia N. de Brito: School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, 1300 S. 2nd Street, Room 300 West Bank Office Building, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
Zachary C. Pope: School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, 1300 S. 2nd Street, Room 300 West Bank Office Building, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
Mark A. Pereira: School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, 1300 S. 2nd Street, Room 300 West Bank Office Building, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
Teresa H. Horton: Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60208, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 22, 1-18

Abstract: Although the health benefits of exercise and exposure to nature are well established, most evidence of their interaction comes from acute observations of single sessions of activity. However, documenting improved health outcomes requires ongoing interventions, measurement of multiple outcomes, and longitudinal analyses. We conducted a pilot study to guide the development of a protocol for future longitudinal studies that would assess multiple physiological and psychological outcomes. Herein, we report psychological outcomes measured from thirty-eight participants before and after three conditions: a 50 min walk on a forest path, a 50 min walk along a busy road, and a period of activities of daily living. Changes in positive and negative affect, anxiety, perceived stress, and working memory are reported. We benchmark these results to existing studies that used similar protocols and also identify elements of the protocol that might impair recruitment or retention of subjects in longer-term studies. Linear mixed-models regression revealed that walking improved psychological state when compared to activities of daily living, regardless of walk environment ( p < 0.05). Comparison of mean differences showed that forest walks yielded the largest and most consistent improvements in psychological state. Thus, despite a protocol that required a 3.5 h time commitment per laboratory visit, the beneficial effects of walking and exposure to a forested environment were observed.

Keywords: green exercise; nature prescriptions; nature Rx; physical activity; anxiety; 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 (7)

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