What Activities in Forests Are Beneficial for Human Health? A Systematic Review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to understand the differences in health effects of various forest-based activities, particularly walking, and their associated outcomes.
Results Summary
Walking showed consistent positive health effects, with differences observed in anxiety and depression, cognitive function, stress hormone levels, and inflammation. However, most included studies had a high risk of bias and limited intervention specifics.
Population
Participants aged 6-98 years (total n=6264, sample sizes ranging from 12-585).
Effective Dosage
Activity time ranged between 10 and 240 minutes (specific frequency not detailed).
Duration
Not specified in the abstract.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
forest-based interventions | increase | clinical trials | - | over the past decade | increased | #1 |
forest-based interventions | increase | preventive medicine | - | - | recognition as | #2 |
walking | increase | health effects | - | - | showed consistent positive health effects | #3 |
forest-based interventions | neutral | anxiety and depression | - | - | differences in effects on | #4 |
forest-based interventions | neutral | cognitive function | - | - | differences in effects on | #5 |
forest-based interventions | neutral | stress hormone | - | - | differences in effects on | #6 |
forest-based interventions | neutral | inflammation | - | - | differences in effects on | #7 |
Over the past decade, clinical trials of forest-based interventions have increased, leading to their recognition as preventive medicine. However, little is known about the differences in health effects according to the activity characteristics of interventions. This study aimed to understand the types of activities and their associated health effects to identify differences in health effects between activities. PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched, and methodological quality was assessed using Cochrane ROB2. A total of 32 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) met the eligibility criteria. Health outcomes were collected from 6264 participants aged 6-98 years, and the sample size was 12-585. The Interventions were walking (n = 21), staying (n = 7), exercise (n = 4), indirect exposure (n = 4), and the activity time was between 10 and 240 min. Overall, walking showed consistent positive health effects, and there were differences in effects on anxiety and depression, cognitive function, stress hormone, and inflammation according to the activity. However, most of the included studies had a high risk of bias, and interventions were limited to specific activities, durations, and frequencies. Although a few limitations remain, the findings in this study are of great significance in providing the basis for the design of forest-based interventions.