Measures to Promote Rural Healthcare Tourism with a Scientific Evidence-Based Approach

Dawou Joung, Bohwi Lee, Jeongdo Lee, Changjun Lee, Seungmo Koo, Changwon Park, Sebin Kim, Takahide Kagawa and Bum-Jin Park
Additional contact information
Dawou Joung: Department of Environment and Forest Resources, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
Bohwi Lee: Department of Environment and Forest Resources, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
Jeongdo Lee: Department of Environment and Forest Resources, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
Changjun Lee: Department of Environment and Forest Resources, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
Seungmo Koo: Department of Agricultural Economics, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
Changwon Park: Gyeonggi Regional Headquarter, Korea Rural Community Corporation, 347 Jangan-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16346, Korea
Sebin Kim: Department of Environment and Forest Resources, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
Takahide Kagawa: Forestry and Forest Products Research Insitute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan
Bum-Jin Park: Department of Environment and Forest Resources, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-13

Abstract: The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of physical activities on human health in forests in countryside and rural areas. The test experiment was conducted in a countryside forest, whereas the controlled experiment was conducted in an urban area where the study participants resided. A total of 22 participants (aged 20.9 ± 1.3 years) were evaluated in this study. Heart rate variability and salivary cortisol level were used as indices of physiological conditions, and semantic differential method, profile of mood states (POMS), and state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) were used to evaluate the participants’ emotional states. The participants were asked to walk around forest and urban areas for 15 min. The results were as follows. As compared to the urban area, in the forest area, (1) the power of the high-frequency (HF) component of the heart rate variability (HRV) was significantly higher; (2) low-frequency (LF)/(LF + HF) was significantly lower; (3) salivary cortisol level was significantly lower; (4) the participants felt more comfortable, natural, relaxed, and less anxious and showed higher levels of positive emotions and lower levels of negative emotions. Consequently, walking in the forest area induces relaxing short-term physiological and psychological effects on young people living in urban areas.

Keywords: healthcare tourism; forest bathing; rural and mountain economy; physical activity; walking; heart rate variability; salivary cortisol; POMS; STAI (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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