Physiological and psychological responses of young males during spring-time walks in urban parks

Journal of Physiological Anthropology

Yoshifumi Miyazaki¹  Michiko Takagaki¹  Masayuki Miwa¹  Miho Igarashi¹  Harumi Ikei¹  Chorong Song¹ 

[1] Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

关键词: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory;    Profile of Mood States;    Semantic differential method;    Heart rate variability;    Heart rate;    Preventive medicine;    Physiological relaxation;    Spring;    Walking;    Urban green space;   

Others  :  861434
DOI  :  10.1186/1880-6805-33-8

 received in 2013-12-28, accepted in 2014-04-17,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

It is widely believed that contact with the natural environment can improve physical and mental health. Urban green spaces may provide city residents with these benefits; however, there is a lack of empirical field research on the health benefits of urban parks.

Methods

This field experiment was performed in May. Seventeen males aged 21.2 ± 1.7 years (mean ± standard deviation) were instructed to walk predetermined 15-minute courses in an urban park and a nearby city area (control). Heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured to assess physiological responses. The semantic differential (SD) method, Profile of Mood States (POMS), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to measure psychological responses.

Results

Heart rate was significantly lower while walking in the urban park than while walking in the city street. Furthermore, the urban park walk led to higher parasympathetic nervous activity and lower sympathetic nervous activity compared with the walk through the city street. Subjective evaluations were generally in accordance with physiological reactions, and significantly higher scores were observed for the ‘comfortable’, ‘natural’, and ‘relaxed’ parameters following the urban park walk. After the urban park walk, the score for the ‘vigor’ subscale of the POMS was significantly higher, whereas that for negative feelings such as ‘tension-anxiety’ and ‘fatigue’ was significantly lower. The score for the anxiety dimension of the STAI was also significantly lower after the urban park walk.

Conclusions

Physiological and psychological results from this field experiment provide evidence for the physiological and psychological benefits of urban green spaces. A brief spring-time walk in an urban park shifted sympathetic/parasympathetic balance and improved mood state.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Song et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

【 参考文献 】

• [1]Kaplan R, Kaplan S: The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press; 1989.
• [2]Kaplan S: The restorative benefits of nature: toward an integrative framework. J Environ Psychol 1995, 15:169-182.
• [3]Ulrich RS, Simons RF, Losito BD, Fiorito E, Miles MA, Zelson M: Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. J Environ Psychol 1991, 11:201-230.
• [4]van den Berg AE, Koole SL, van der Wulp NY: Environment preference and restoration: (how) are they related? J Environ Psychol 2003, 23:135-146.
• [5]Park BJ, Furuya K, Kasetani T, Takayama N, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y: Relationship between psychological responses and physical environments in forest settings. Landsc Urban Plan 2011, 102:24-32.
• [6]Groenewegen PG, van den Berg AE, de Vries S, Verheij RA: Vitamin G: effects of green space on health, well-being, and social safety. BMC Public Health 2006, 6:1-9. BioMed Central Full Text
• [7]Shin WS, Yeoun PS, Yoo RW, Shin CS: Forest experience and psychological health benefits: the state of the art and future prospect in Korea. Environ Health Prev Med 2010, 15:38-47.
• [8]Shin WS, Shin CS, Yeoun PS, Kim JJ: The influence of interaction with forest on cognitive function. Scan J Forest Res 2011, 26:595-598.
• [9]Park BJ, Tsunetsugu Y, Kasetani T, Morikawa T, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y: Physiological effects of forest recreation in a young conifer forest in Hinokage town, Japan. Silva Fenn 2009, 43:291-301.
• [10]Lee J, Park BJ, Tsunetsugu Y, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y: Restorative effects of viewing real forest landscapes, based on a comparison with urban landscapes. Scand J Forest Res 2009, 24:227-234.
• [11]Tsunetsugu Y, Park BJ, Ishii H, Hirano H, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y: Physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the atmosphere of the forest) in an old-growth broadleaf forest in Yamagata prefecture, Japan. J Physiol Anthropol 2007, 26:135-142.
• [12]Tsunetsugu Y, Lee J, Park BJ, Tyrvainen L, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y: Physiological and psychological effects of viewing urban forest landscapes assessed by multiple measurement. Landsc Urban Plan 2013, 113:90-93.
• [13]Park BJ, Tsunetsugu Y, Lee J, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y: Effect of the forest environment on physiological relaxation using the results of field tests at 35 sites throughout Japan. In Forest Medicine. Edited by Li Q. New York: Nova; 2012:55-65.
• [14]Park BJ, Tsunetsugu Y, Ishii H, Furuhashi S, Hirano H, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y: Physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the atmosphere of the forest) in a mixed forest in Shinano Town, Japan. Scan J Forest Res 2008, 23:278-283.
• [15]Lee J, Park BJ, Tsunetsugu Y, Ohira T, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y: Effect of forest bathing on physiological and psychological responses in young Japanese male subjects. Public Health 2011, 125:93-100.
• [16]Park BJ, Tsunetsugu Y, Kasetani T, Hirano H, Kagawa T, Sato M, Miyazaki Y: Physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the atmosphere of the forest) - using salivary cortisol and cerebral activity as indicators. J Physiol Anthropol 2007, 26:123-128.
• [17]Li Q, Morimoto K, Nakadai A, Inagaki H, Katsumata M, Shimizu T, Hirata Y, Hirata K, Suzuki H, Miyazaki Y, Kagawa T, Koyama Y, Ohira T, Takayama N, Krensky AM, Kawada T: Forest bathing enhances human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2007, 20:3-8.
• [18]Li Q, Morimoto K, Kobayashi M, Inagaki H, Katsumata M, Hirata Y, Hirata K, Suzuki H, Li YJ, Wakayama Y, Kawada T, Park BJ, Ohira T, Matsui N, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y, Krensky AM: Visiting a forest, but not a city, increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2008, 21:117-127.
• [19]Li Q, Morimoto K, Kobayashi M, Inagaki H, Katsumata M, Hirata Y, Hirata K, Shimizu T, Li YJ, Wakayama Y, Kawada T, Ohira T, Takayama N, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y: A forest bathing trip increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins in female subjects. J Biol Regul Homeost Agents 2008, 22:45-55.
• [20]Lee J, Li Q, Tyrväinen L, Tsunetsugu Y, Park BJ, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y: Nature therapy and preventive medicine. In Public Health-Social and Behavioral Health. Edited by Maddock JR. Rijeka: InTech; 2012:325-350.
• [21]Dwyer JF, McPherson EG, Schroeder HW, Rowntree RA: Assessing the benefits and costs of the urban forest. J Arboric 1992, 18:227-234.
• [22]Chiesura A: The role of urban parks for the sustainable city. Landsc Urban Plan 2004, 68:129-138.
• [23]Maas J, Verheij RA, Groenewegen PP, Vries SD, Spreeuwenberg P: Green space, urbanity, and health: how strong is the relation? J Epidemiol Community Health 2006, 60:587-592.
• [24]Mitchell R, Popham F: Effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities: an observational population study. Lancet 2008, 372:1655-1660.
• [25]Takano T, Nakamura K, Watanabe M: Urban residential environments and senior citizens’ longevity in megacity areas: the importance of walkable green spaces. J Epidemiol Community Health 2002, 56:913-918.
• [26]Dye C: Health and urban living. Science 2008, 319:766-769.
• [27]Lee ACK, Maheswaran R: The health benefits of urban green spaces: a review of the evidence. J Public Health 2010, 33:212-222.
• [28]Song C, Joung D, Ikei H, Igarashi M, Aga M, Park BJ, Miwa M, Takagaki M, Miyazaki Y: Physiological and psychological effects of walking on young males in urban parks in winter. J Physiol Anthropol 2013, 32:18. BioMed Central Full Text
• [29]Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology: Heart rate variability: standards of measurement, physiological interpretation and clinical use. Circulation 1996, 93:1043-1065.
• [30]Pagani M, Lombardi F, Guzzetti S, Rimoldi O, Furlan R, Pizzinelli P, Sandrone G, Malfatto G, Dell’Orto S, Piccaluga E: Power spectral analysis of heart rate and arterial pressure variabilities as a marker of sympatho-vagal interaction in man and conscious dog. Circ Res 1986, 59:178-193.
• [31]Kobayashi H, Park BJ, Miyazaki Y: Normative references of heart rate variability and salivary alpha-amylase in a healthy young male population. J Physiol Anthropol 2012, 31:9. BioMed Central Full Text
• [32]Osgood CE, Suci GJ, Tannenbaum P: The Measurement of Meaning. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press; 1957.
• [33]McNair DM, Lorr M: An analysis of mood in neurotics. J Abnorm Soc Psychol 1964, 69:620-627.
• [34]McNair D, Lorr M, Droppleman L: Profile of Mood States Manual. San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Services; 1992.
• [35]Yokoyama K: POMS Shortened Version-Manual and Commentary on Cases. Tokyo: Kaneko Syoboh; 2005. [in Japanese]
• [36]Hidano N, Fukuhara M, Iwawaki M, Soga S, Spielberger CD: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Form JYZ. Tokyo: Jitsumu-Kyoiku Syuppan; 2000. [in Japanese]
• [37]Delaney JP, Leong KS, Watkins A, Brodie D: The short-term effects of myofascial trigger point massage therapy on cardiac autonomic tone in healthy subjects. J Adv Nurs 2002, 37:364-371.
• [38]Buttagat V, Eungpinichpong W, Chatchawan U, Kharmwan S: The immediate effects of traditional Thai massage on heart rate variability and stress-related parameters in patients with back pain associated with myofascial trigger points. J Bodyw Mov Ther 2011, 15:15-23.
• [39]Shapiro D, Cook IA, Davydov DM, Ottaviani C, Leuchter AF, Abrams M: Yoga as complementary of depression: effects of traits and moods on treatment outcome. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2007, 4:493-502.
• [40]Murray CJL, Lopez AD: Evidence-based health policy - lessons from the global burden of disease study. Science 1996, 274:740-743.
• [41]Miyazaki Y, Park BJ, Lee J: Nature therapy. In Designing our Future: Local Perspectives on Bioproduction, Ecosystems and Humanity. Edited by Osaki M, Braimoh A, Nakagami K. New York, NY: United Nations University Press; 2011:407-412.
• [42]Frumkin H: Beyond toxicity, human health, and the natural environment. Am J Prev Med 2001, 20:234-240.