Seeking everyday wellbeing: The coast as a therapeutic landscape

Hydrophobia, dis/connection, and difference: Understanding Chinese immigrants' fear of coastal swimming in Aotearoa New Zealand

New Zealand's coastal blue spaces, from harbours to beaches, provide diverse wellbeing benefits but can also be sites of danger, fear, and cultural contestation. This qualitative research focuses on Chinese migrants in Auckland, a community who are underrepresented in coastal recreation and overrepresented in drowning statistics. Findings show Chinese migrants dis/connection with coastal blue space and fear of coastal swimming, derived from their homeland habitus and lack of coastal 'blue space' cultural capital. Our research contributes to the growing recognition of 'hydrophobia', and how the racialisation of leisure space impacts the potential for blue spaces and practices to be therapeutic.

Coastal cultural ecosystem services and adolescents' subjective well-being

Despite growing recognition of nature's impact on mental health, its specific effects on adolescents remain unclear. This gap hinders effective strategies for youth well-being in a world facing increasing environmental pressures. This study directly investigates the connections between coastal environments and subjective well-being in adolescents. We explore how interactions with coastal landscapes and associated cultural ecosystem services contribute to both personal and social dimensions of well-being in a sample of 202 adolescents (16 and 17 years old) from Sardinia, Italy. Our findings reveal a beneficial impact of coastal experiences, promoting positive affect, social integration, and physiological well-being. However, human pressures on these environments can lead to negative affect, while fostering a sense of social contribution. This research highlights the complex interplay between coastal environments, human impacts, and teenagers' well-being. Understanding these links empowers planners to craft coastal management strategies that balance adolescents' well-being with the long-term sustainability of coastal regions.

Impact of "blue-green diet" on human health and wellbeing: A systematic review of potential determinants in shaping the effectiveness of blue-green infrastructure (BGI) in urban settings

Discourses concerning the potential health benefits of blue-green infrastructure (BGI) have gained momentum, highlighting its positive influence on human health and wellbeing. While studies have explored the concept of "Nature Pyramid" and the role of exposure to natural environments in promoting health, the role of water elements remains underexplored. Rooted in this concept, this study proposed a notion of "blue-green diet" as a framework to understand the intricate mechanisms and determinants of optimal blue-green exposure. Understanding the relationship between these determinants and their health-related impacts can facilitate the enhancement of BGI design, leading to greater effectiveness in promoting health and wellbeing and supporting sustainable urban development strategies. To enhance the comprehension of the "blue-green diet", this study conducted a systematic literature review to grasp the underlying mechanisms behind its beneficial effects, focusing on two key determinants of "blue-green diet", which are also derived from the concept of the "Nature Pyramid": (1) the type of BGI and (2) the mode of interaction with and within BGIs. Under the search of BGI's overall health impacts, this study selected 54 journal publications concerning BGI's type and interaction mode from Web of Science and Scopus since 2010. The review revealed significant disparities in the health benefits provided by different types of BGI (in terms of artificial extent and scale) and between active and passive interaction modes. It examines how to balance natural and artificial elements for enhancing the benefits of BGI and discusses the attributes of BGI that encourage diverse and meaningful interaction patterns. These efforts collectively aim to optimize BGI design and planning, increase its capacity to promote health, and extend its benefits to a wider range of individuals. Future research should encompass a broader spectrum of determinants, such as diverse BGI settings, visit frequency and duration, and user's social-cultural backgrounds.

Systematic review of best practices for GPS data usage, processing, and linkage in health, exposure science and environmental context research

Global Positioning System (GPS) technology is increasingly used in health research to capture individual mobility and contextual and environmental exposures. However, the tools, techniques and decisions for using GPS data vary from study to study, making comparisons and reproducibility challenging.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this systematic review were to (1) identify best practices for GPS data collection and processing; (2) quantify reporting of best practices in published studies; and (3) discuss examples found in reviewed manuscripts that future researchers may employ for reporting GPS data usage, processing and linkage of GPS data in health studies.

DESIGN

A systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

Electronic databases searched (24 October 2023) were PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022322166).

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Included peer-reviewed studies published in English met at least one of the criteria: (1) protocols involving GPS for exposure/context and human health research purposes and containing empirical data; (2) linkage of GPS data to other data intended for research on contextual influences on health; (3) associations between GPS-measured mobility or exposures and health; (4) derived variable methods using GPS data in health research; or (5) comparison of GPS tracking with other methods (eg, travel diary).

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

We examined 157 manuscripts for reporting of best practices including wear time, sampling frequency, data validity, noise/signal loss and data linkage to assess risk of bias.

RESULTS

We found that 6% of the studies did not disclose the GPS device model used, only 12.1% reported the per cent of GPS data lost by signal loss, only 15.7% reported the per cent of GPS data considered to be noise and only 68.2% reported the inclusion criteria for their data.

CONCLUSIONS

Our recommendations for reporting on GPS usage, processing and linkage may be transferrable to other geospatial devices, with the hope of promoting transparency and reproducibility in this research.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022322166.

"It is like post-traumatic stress disorder, but in a positive sense!": New territories of the self as inner therapeutic landscapes for youth experiencing mental ill-health

The manuscript reports on a study conducted on a youth mental health intervention, proposing a novel framework to look at the therapeutic potential of viticultural landscapes. Drawing on care studies applied to agricultural contexts, the work explores how the attention-based practice of manual grape harvest in a specific natural and social environment can produce a "therapeutic landscape of the mind". Through ethnographic research, we investigate how the spatial and social context of the viticultural environment influences the experience of a group of young people with mental-ill health, eventually supporting their process of recovery. Findings describe how the lived experience of caring for the vines while interacting with professional winegrowers in a one-to-one relationship allows participants to explore new territories of the self. It is argued that this powerful experience is not only beneficial as it unfolds, but also at a later time. Its therapeutic potential resides in the fact that the "landscape of the mind" can be recalled by the person, while positive identities associated with it and newly discovered "ways of being" can be re-enacted. The paper furthers the reflection on place-making practices of public health services and the way they can support the identification and cultivation of enabling places, particularly for vulnerable populations (e.g. young people) that can benefit from interventions conducted in non-medical, non-stigmatizing environments. The work is the result of an interdisciplinary collaboration between a psychiatrist (designing and coordinating the intervention) and a sociologist (designing and conducting the ethnographic study).

Cognition and Interaction: From the Perspective of Daily Therapeutic Landscape of the Coastal Zone

This study explored the relationship between mental and physical therapeutic effects through three dimensions: man-environment relationships, a sense of place, and symbolic landscapes. The study used a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Local residents living in the coastal area of Xinglin Bay were the research objects. Quantitative data analysis revealed that the frequency of residents' visits was an important variable affecting their physical and treatment perceptions. For those who visit frequently, these visits can evoke memories, which can better express their sensory experience. The text analysis showed that residents picked up two major landscape elements to form the sense of place and symbolic landscape: one is the water body in the coastal zone, and the other is the cultural symbol of the peninsula. Based on untoward event experience, the residents assembled the elements into a new spatial relationship with therapeutic affordance.

Detecting informal green, blue, and street physical activity spaces in the city using geotagged sports-related Twitter tweets

Introduction

Finland's natural physical environment and climate support a wide variety of informal outdoor sports, thereby motivating the population to do physical exercise in scenic environments. The vast majority of Finns enjoys outdoor recreational activities, and could thus be encouraged to post accounts of their year-round activities on social media. Our aim was to find out in what kind of areas and spaces, spatially, users are tweeting about sporting activities.

Methods

We use geotagged Twitter tweets filtering for 16 sporting activity keywords in both English and Finnish. The case study was conducted in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland, with an emphasis on cross-country skiing as a sports activity when there is snow. In a secondary analysis we concentrated on the sports people were practicing in these locations when there was no snow. The location spaces are split in to three land cover types: green, blue, and street spaces.

Results

We found that approximately half of the 150 skiing-related tweets were geotagged in green spaces, and half in street spaces. This finding related to street space was attributable to a spatial scale error: when we checked the results manually we noticed that they referenced the sporting location in the green space. Hence, then over 90% of the 745 non-ski-related tweets were geotagged in a street space.

Discussion

We conclude that Twitter is a beneficial tool for detecting spaces used for informal physical activity. A shortcoming in current Finnish national sporting policies is that spaces for informal physical activity are not explicitly mentioned- we use the term informal with reference both to the space and to the sporting activity, whereby public spaces are used for physical activity. This new knowledge of sporting locations will help city planners and sports planners to improve informal sports facilities, which in turn will promote healthy exercise in cities.

Therapeutic landscapes, networks, and health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods study among female domestic workers

The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impacts on access to and use of therapeutic landscapes and networks, especially for people who are vulnerable due to economic, social, and work-related disadvantage. For one such vulnerable population, Indonesian female domestic workers (FDWs) in Hong Kong, this study employed a mixed methods approach to examine the associations between perceptions of therapeutic landscapes (TLs), therapeutic networks (TNs), subjective wellbeing, and self-rated health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from an online survey were analyzed via structural equation modeling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to investigate the direct and indirect associations between TLs, TNs, and health and wellbeing. The findings demonstrate little or no association among FDWs' perceptions of TLs and TNs and FDWs' self-rated health and subjective wellbeing, except for a negative total association between TL and subjective wellbeing. Using insights gleaned from thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with FDWs, we suggest that these unexpected findings are mainly due to restricted access to public places, reduced social gatherings, and the fact that employers rarely granted days off during the lockdown. Although processes at the employer and municipal scales limited FDWs' access to therapeutic places, increased use of digital communications and spaces provided an important source of social and emotional support during the pandemic.

Sea swimming and snorkeling in tropical coastal blue spaces and mental well-being: Findings from Indonesian island communities during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has considerable mental health impacts. Immersive nature-based interventions, such as swimming or snorkeling, may help mitigate the global mental health crisis caused by the pandemic. To investigate this, we collected cross-sectional data from residents of coastal villages (n = 308) in Kepulauan Selayar, Indonesia. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used with mental well-being as the outcome variable, operationalized as the Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores from the SF-12 (12-item Short Form Health Survey). After adjusting for covariates, the activity of sea swimming or snorkeling was found to be significantly associated with better mental well-being (η² = 0.036; p < 0.01). Predictive margins analysis revealed that those who engaged in sea swimming or snorkeling for one to three days a week gained a 2.7 increase in their MCS scores, compared to those who did not. A non-linear dose-response relationship was detected: for those swimming or snorkeling more than three days per week, there was only an increase of 1.7 MCS score compared to the 0-day. Overall this study contributes to the expanding of evidence base, showing that interactions with blue spaces can be beneficial for mental health, especially in a potentially stressful time such as the current pandemic.

Management implications

The positive association between the activity of swimming or snorkeling in open seas and the mental well-being of rural coastal communities in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that access to coastal blue spaces is important in a time of uncertainties and high stress. Ensuring that local communities have continuous access to these spaces is the key challenge for all relevant stakeholders, particularly in light of the growing privatization of the local coastal environment for the sake of tourism. However, considering the importance that these blue spaces hold for the mental well-being of local communities, intensive dialogue amongst these stakeholders must be pursued to ensure that the development of the area does not jeopardize the collective well-being of the people already living there.

Creating equitable and sustainable opportunities for nature immersion to support restoration from stress within mental health nursing: A critical interpretive synthesis

In the face of global environmental changes threatening health, and despite increased calls for nurses to broker access to nature-based well-being interventions for people with mental health difficulties, there is a surprising absence of literature examining the nature-nursing relationship, inhibiting its inclusion within nursing curricula and practice. This critical interpretive synthesis supports the notion that nature immersion has the capacity to increase positive affect, reduce negative affect, provide restoration from everyday stress, promote meaning-making, enhance belonging, and foster an interest in caring for the natural world. Yet, critical examination of the literature reveals multiple social and environmental inequalities and unmasks latent anthropocentric, gendered, and colonialist thinking, which threatens the delivery of equitable and just sustainable practice. Recommendations are made for a transdisciplinary, systemic approach, which recognizes and responds to our shared humanity and vulnerability in pursuit of planetary health.

Integrating knowledge on green infrastructure, health and well-being in ageing populations: Principles for research and practice

Ageing and urbanisation pose significant challenges for public health and urban planning. Ageing populations are at particular risk from hazards arising from urbanisation processes, some of which are in turn exacerbated by climate change. One approach for mitigating the negative effects of urbanisation on ageing populations is the leveraging of the beneficial effects of urban green infrastructure as a public health intervention in the planning process. We assessed the potential of available theoretical frameworks to provide the context for such leverage. This involved active engagement with academics and practitioners specialising in ageing, green infrastructure and health and well-being through a knowledge-brokering approach. We concluded that an integrated and comprehensive framework on the socio-cultural-ecological determinants of health is lacking. To address this, we present a set of principles for overcoming challenges to knowledge integration when working at the intersection of green infrastructure, ageing, health and well-being. Our findings-and the co-production process used to generate them-have wider significance for trans-disciplinary research into the benefits of the natural environment to human health and well-being as well as other complex and interconnected topics associated with global grand challenges.

Connecting the health of country with the health of people: Application of "caring for country" in improving the social and emotional well-being of Indigenous people in Australia and New Zealand

Emerging evidence from the western literature suggests an increasing focus on applying nature-based interventions for mental health improvements. However, in Indigenous communities, caring for country has always been central to the Indigenous way of life. Knowing that nature-based interventions effectively improve mental health outcomes, this review collated evidence on the application of caring for country in improving social and emotional well-being (SEWB) of Indigenous peoples in Australia and New Zealand. Three studies from Australia and one from New Zealand, explored the role of country or whenua (land) in the lives of Indigenous people. Participation in caring-for country activities was associated with lower levels of psychological distress and strengthened guardianship relationship with country, which positively affected SEWB. This systematic review offers preliminary evidence on the role of caring for country activities in improving the SEWB of Indigenous peoples and highlights the need for strengths-based approaches to improve the SEWB of Indigenous peoples.

Funding

None.

Older adults' adaptations to life events: a mobility perspective

Mobility research tends to focus on physical movement and experiences in later life; however, changes in older adult mobility over time remains underexplored. Furthermore, older adults typically experience many life events, some of which result from cognitive and physical decline, and many of which impact mobility. This article aims to explore how life events affect the mobility of older adults over time. We conducted in-depth interviews with 22 older adults aged 55 years and over from Lancashire, United Kingdom. Of these participants, eight lived with memory problems. The findings show that both anticipated and unexpected life events play a profound role in the participants' mobility over time. Retirement, long-term illness and age-related illness were examples of anticipated life events, while the death of a loved one and developing memory problems were examples of unexpected life events. In both cases, participants' made external adaptations, such as moving home, or internal adaptations, such as self-awareness. The findings also emphasise the layered nature of life events and adaptations playing a role in the participants' mobility. Additionally, life events such as developing memory problems showed a domino effect, triggering further life events and adaptations which impacted the participants' mobility. This article emphasises how transition periods can occur before or after a life event, showing that adaptations can be pre-emptive to a life event. Our article contributes to calls for internal adaptations to be fully incorporated into age-related policy and also for age-related policy to be more inclusive for older adults who experience memory problems and dementia.

Flow experience and city identity in the restorative environment: A conceptual model and nature-based intervention

Within environmental psychology, the restorative environment is receiving increasing attention due to its favorable impact on people's mental recovery, stress reduction, and psychophysiological well-being. Flow theory, as one of the foundations of positive psychology, is a popular theoretical framework for understanding human flourishing and well-being. The restorative environment is suggested to facilitate flow experience and city identity from the perspective of positive environmental psychology. Nonetheless, systematic research investigating them all together can hardly be traced. Thus, through a preliminary review of 169 relevant studies retrieved from the data source, this work proposes a novel theoretical model in which people's interactions within the restorative environment facilitate their experience of flow and perceived city identity. Additionally, this research provides conceptual guidance for city workers to engage in nature-based intervention and leisure therapy for improved well-being. Overall, this review endeavors to contribute to developing urban workers' restoration, happiness, and well-being from both practical and theoretical perspectives.

Neighborhood Characteristics Associated with Running in Metro Vancouver: A Preliminary Analysis

Running can improve physical health and psychological wellbeing. However, the characteristics of conducive running environments are relatively unknown. This study determines neighborhood factors that attract running and explores how age and gender mediate built environment preferences. Spatial patterns of runners in Metro Vancouver were identified using crowdsourced fitness data from Strava, a popular application for tracking physical activities. The influence of socio-economic status (SES), green and/or blue space, and urbanicity on route popularity was assessed using a Generalized Linear Model (GLM). The influence of these neighborhood variables was also calculated for runners by age and gender. The results show high neighborhood SES, the presence of green and/or blue space, and high population density are associated with increased running activities in all age and gender groups. This study contributes a novel approach to understanding conducive running environments by demonstrating the utility of crowdsourced data in combination with data about urban environments. The patterns of this large group of runners can be used to inform planning for cities that promote running, as well as seek to encourage equal participation among different ages and genders.

Relationship between "Blue Space" Proximity and Children's Weight Status, Health Behaviors, and Health-Related Quality of Life among a Sample of Regional Victorian Primary School Children

Background: Access to green space (e.g., parks and gardens) has been associated with child health and wellbeing, whereas blue space (e.g., coasts, lakes, and rivers) is understudied. Our aim was to determine whether proximity to the coast was associated with primary school children's weight status, modifiable health-related behaviors, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: Exploratory cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Whole of Systems Trial of Prevention Strategies for Childhood Obesity (WHOSTOPS) study, to estimate gender-specific differences in weight and behaviors across four bands of distance from the coast (<5 km, 5 to <25 km, 25 to <50 km, ≥50 km). Linear and logistic models, with robust standard errors, adjusted for school year level, area-level socioeconomic position and rurality, and allowing for distance by gender interaction were fitted on data from 1216 children (aged 8.5-13 years). Main outcomes were weight status (categorical), physical activity (PA) (categorical), and global HRQoL score (continuous). Results: Compared with girls living in towns ≥50 km from the coast, those living within 5 km had lower odds for overweight/obesity [odds ratio (OR) = 0.50; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37-0.67] and higher mean moderate-to-vigorous PA minutes (accelerometry) (β = 8.7; 95% CI: 2.0-15.5) and global HRQoL (β = 3.2; 95% CI: 1.4-5.0). Compared with boys living ≥50 km from the coast, those living within 5 km had higher odds of meeting self-reported PA guidelines (≥60 minutes/day) for ≥5 days (OR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.75-3.10), and higher mean global HRQoL scores (β = 5.6; 95% CI: 1.9-9.3). Conclusions: Living close to the coast was associated with some favorable health outcomes and behaviors, which differed between girls and boys.

From scary places to therapeutic landscapes: Voices from the community of people living with schizophrenia

This article discusses how people living with schizophrenia experience, understand, and respond to their urban environment. Our study relies on experiential photo-voice data gathered with a sample of six people diagnosed with schizophrenia and living in non-institutional settings in Montréal, Canada, to identify how individuals in this community perceive the urban landscape. We adopt a therapeutic landscapes' framework that explores the urban fabric at three levels: physical, social, and symbolic. Research participants identified both health-denying and health-enhancing places within ordinary urban landscapes. Landscapes identified as health-denying are characterized by environmental stressors and loss of control, with construction sites an example highlighted by participants. Healing and restorative landscapes, as identified by participants, were physically attractive or quiet, socially safe and welcoming, and symbolically affirmative of one's identity, all factors worthy of further study. The findings are also policy-relevant: they suggest that people living with schizophrenia and their clinicians can develop strategies to make health-enhancing uses of urban landscapes; and that urban policies and practices can foster urban environments conducive to enhanced health and well-being, both for the community of people living with schizophrenia and the wider population of urban dwellers.

Landscape Perception and the Importance of Recreation Areas for Students during the Pandemic Time

The landscape and its perception influence the quality of life of a local community. Recreation areas bring a lot of benefits to society, also in terms of mental health. Open space and contact with nature, particularly during a crisis such as the pandemic, help alleviate the effects of the lockdown and social isolation. The study objective was to determine whether and to what extent the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the importance of recreation areas and the perception of landscape among students-a social group that experiences mood disorders increasingly often and has been severely affected by the lockdown. A survey was conducted in two stages, using a Google Forms online survey. A total of 381 students from universities in Lublin participated in the survey. The survey showed that the significance of recreation areas increased during the pandemic. The perception of landscape changed as well: the value of nature, scenic views, and the therapeutic effect of the landscape began to be appreciated to a greater extent. The survey results indicate the need to ensure the diversity of green areas and improve their accessibility. Designing these areas should also consider quiet areas as well as ensuring green mobility and places of recreation.

Healthy Environments: Understanding Perceptions of Underrepresented Communities in the United Kingdom

A healthy environment has been defined by global health organisations as one that is safe, supportive of healthy lifestyles, and free of hazards. Such definitions disregard the complexity of what it means for an environment to be perceived as 'healthy'-such as the mental, not just physical, health effects on citizens. This study aimed to understand the attributes that underrepresented groups of the United Kingdom (UK) public assign to healthy environments-an important step for directing public policy and actions to create environments that are inclusive of all citizens. This co-created study involved 95 participants from underrepresented communities in 10 separate focus groups, each facilitated by a community member. Thematic analyses highlighted five key attributes of a healthy environment: sounds and sights, accessibility, safety, familiarity and mental health and wellbeing. This study draws a picture of key attributes underrepresented groups of the UK public assign to healthy environments that is richer than that drawn by existing definitions. These findings illustrate the importance of hearing diverse voices when directing research, policy, and actions that attempt to develop healthy environments for all.

A Qualitative Study on Emotions Experienced at the Coast and Their Influence on Well-Being

Coastal environments are increasingly shown to have a positive effect on our health and well-being. Various mechanisms have been suggested to explain this effect. However, so far little focus has been devoted to emotions that might be relevant in this context, especially for people who are directly or indirectly exposed to the coast on a daily basis. Our preregistered qualitative study explored how coastal residents experience the emotions they feel at the coast and how they interpret the effect these emotions have on them. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of eight Belgian coastal residents aged 21–25 years old. The interviews were analyzed with the approach of interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five superordinate themes were identified and indicate that, for our participants, the coast represents a safe haven (1) in which they can experience emotional restoration (2), awe (3), and nostalgia (4). These emotional states are accompanied with adaptive emotion regulating strategies (5), such as reflection and positive reappraisal, that may facilitate coping with difficult thoughts and feelings. Our study demonstrates the importance of investigating specific emotions and related processes triggered at the coast and how these could contribute to the therapeutic value of the coast.

Freshwater Wild Swimming, Health and Well-Being: Understanding the Importance of Place and Risk

Spending time in or around bodies of water or ‘blue spaces’ can benefit human health and well-being. A growing body of evidence suggests immersion in blue space, e.g., participating in ‘wild’ swimming, can be particularly beneficial for both physical and mental health. To date, wild swimming and health research has primarily focused on the experience of individuals who swim in the sea. Empirical studies of the health-promoting potential of swimming in freshwater environments, such as lochs and lakes, are lacking, despite the popularity of this practice in many countries and the vastly different physical and hydrological properties of freshwater and coastal environments. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between loch (lake) swimming and health and well-being for adults living in Scotland and determine the importance of perceptions of place and risk in this relationship. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve wild swimmers who regularly swim in lochs in Scotland. Interview data were analysed thematically using Nvivo. The findings suggest loch swimming has a variety of health and well-being benefits that can be categorised over three domains of health: physical, mental and social. Of these domains, mental health benefits e.g., mindfulness promotion, resilience building and increasing one’s ability to listen to their body, were particularly prominent. Our findings also highlight important physical and hydrological characteristics of loch environments, e.g., calm water conditions (relative to the sea), which contribute to positive wild swimming experiences. Finally, the perceived risks of loch swimming and mitigation strategies for these risks are established. Collectively, our findings further support the notion that wild swimming is a unique health-promoting practice. Our findings also highlight differences (in terms of experience and perceived risk) between swimming in freshwater and coastal environments, which can inform public health and water management policy.

Trialectics of Spatiality: The Negotiation Process between Winter Swimmers and the Municipal Government of Beijing

Different cultural groups establish different usage habits while using public spaces and there are contradictions between them. For instance, the issue of whether Beijing’s public waters can be used as winter swimming spaces is controversial. Based on Edward William Soja’s Trialectics of Spatiality, we analysed the literature analysis, semi-structured interviews and participatory observations to conduct the survey, and the following conclusions were drawn. First, the contradictions between winter swimmers and public water administrators in Beijing are divided into three stages, and the turning points of these stages are based on the changes in Secondspace. Second, after three rounds of gradual progress in the Trialectics of Spatiality, Firstspace not only preserves the winter swimming areas for Beijingers but also avoids the current contradictions due to different usages of public waters between different subjects. Third, winter swimmers and urban managers may not be aware of the potential contradictions of public waters in the future without using Soja’s concept of Thirdspace (or Lefebvre’s concept of “representation of space”).

Relationships between Recreation and Pollution When Striving for Wellbeing in Blue Spaces

Our aim for this research was to identify and examine how recreation enthusiasts cope with and mitigate the violence of pollution as they strive for wellbeing in polluted “blue spaces” (e.g., seas, oceans). Our methodology to undertake the research was ethnography (online and offline), including autoethnography and informal interviews (40). The study proceeded from a constructivist epistemology which emphasizes that knowledge is situated and perspectival. The study site was a post-industrial area of northeast England where a long-standing but also rapidly growing surfing culture has to live with pollution (legacy and ongoing). We found evidence of what have become quotidian tactics that attach to themes of familiarity, embodiment, resignation, denial, and affect/emotion used by enthusiasts to cope with and mitigate the violence of pollution. We argue that by necessity some surfers are persisting in striving for wellbeing not simply in spite of pollution but rather with pollution. We assert surfers enact a “resigned activism” that influences their persistence. We extend critical scholarship concerning relationships between recreation, blue spaces, and wellbeing by moving beyond a restrictive binary of focusing on either threats and risks or opportunities and benefits of blue space to health and wellbeing, instead showing how striving for wellbeing through recreation in the presence of pollution provides evidence of how such efforts are more negotiated, fluid, situated, uncertain, dissonant, and even political than any such binary structure allows for.

Not all types of nature have an equal effect on urban residents' well-being: A structural equation model approach

A growing amount of research shows a positive association between urban nature and urban residents' psychological and physical well-being and quality of life. With its focus on specific dimensions of well-being and reliance either on large-scale objective data sets or experimental and comparative designs, prior research does not explicitly address the relationships between the various types of urban nature as experienced by citizens and their overall well-being. The present research proposes a model for the potential influence of the perceptions of the type and characteristics of nature close to urban residences and citizens' well-being via their frequency of exposure to, and their activities in, nature. Using WHOQOL-26 as a measure of well-being and constructing or adapting measurements for the other variables, a questionnaire was designed and administered among a sample of 2500 French urban residents. Psychometric tests, structural equation modeling, and mediation analyses were conducted on the collected data. The results show that: (1) The perceived characteristics of nature near urban residences have both direct and indirect influences on the psychological, physical, environmental, and resources-related dimensions of citizens' well-being; (2) Less domesticated nature-forests, fields, and scrubland-contributes to psychological well-being by favoring light or calm activities in nature, and to physical well-being by supporting exposure to nature. Such wilder nature is also positively associated with the perceived quality of urban residences; (3) Small spots of nature, located close to one's residence-a balcony, a patio, or a roof garden-make a similar but smaller contribution to well-being; (4) Domesticated nature-city gardens and parks-contribute marginally to the physical and resources-related dimensions of well-being. These results complement past research on the perceived characteristics of nature by showing how nature, as experienced by urban citizens, refers to different vegetation spaces. They also invite urban planners and policymakers to acknowledge the positive association between "wilder" natural spaces and well-being.

Uncaring landscapes and HIV peer support in the rural Southern United States

Despite social determinants being central to LGBTQ health inequities, they are scarcely targeted by federal public health interventions. Racism, sexual stigma, and social disconnection, in particular, contribute to numerous LGBTQ health inequities including HIV. This article explores the case of a peer support group at a federally supported HIV care center in a rural Southern (US) location alongside oral history interviews with queer-identifying Black men recorded in the same region. Geographies of care literature center trusting social relations in care provision. For the narrators, unchecked harmful social relations vis a vis stigma and disconnection from queer collectivity produce an 'uncaring landscape' in the geographic environment. The peer support group diverged from the stipulated context of HIV to offer space for queer collectivity and destigmatizing social care. The findings support a more radical, expansive provision of state-supported care for sexual minorities.

Waterscapes for Promoting Mental Health in the General Population

The WHO estimates that, with the development of urbanization, 25% of the population is suffering from psychological and mental distress. Preliminary evidence has suggested that aquatic environments and riparian areas, i.e., waterscapes, can benefit psychological and mental wellbeing. The aim of this study was to identify the processes of waterscape psychological and mental health promotion through aliterature review. We propose a design framework of waterscapes for achieving psychological and mental health in the general population that often visits waterscapes, which has the function of therapeutic landscapes through values of accessibility, versatility, habitats, and biodiversity. According to theories, waterscapes can improve psychological and mental health to divert negative emotions through mitigation (e.g., reduced urban heat island), instoration (e.g., physical activity and state of nature connectedness), and restoration (e.g., reduced anxiety/attentional fatigue). By accessing water (e.g., streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and the coast) and riparian areas, people can get in close contact with nature and spend more time in activities (e.g., walking, exploring, talking, and relaxing). Waterscapes with healing effects can enhance psychological resilience to promote people's psychological and mental health. Future research should focus on ensuring an adequate supply of waterscapes and promoting the efficiency of waterscape ecosystem services on mental health. Moreover, fora deep understanding of the complexity of nature-human health associations, it is necessary to explore more consistent evidence for therapeutic waterscapes considering the characteristics and functional mechanisms of waterscape quality, in terms of freshness, luminescence, rippling or fluidity, and cultural value, to benefit public health and biodiversity conservation.

Bird diversity and psychological wellbeing: A comparison of green and coastal blue space in a neotropical city

Accelerating rates of urbanisation are contributing to biodiversity declines worldwide. However, urban green (e.g. parks) and blue spaces (e.g. coast) provide important habitat for species. Emerging evidence also shows that green and blue spaces can benefit human psychological wellbeing, although few studies originate from the Global South and it is unclear whether more biodiverse spaces offer greater wellbeing gains. We examine how bird diversity (abundance, species richness, Shannon diversity, and community composition) in green and coastal blue space in Georgetown, Guyana, is associated with people's wellbeing (positive and negative affect, anxiety) in situ, using point counts and questionnaires. Bird community composition differed between green and coastal sites, and diversity was significantly higher in green sites. Positive affect and anxiety did not differ between green and coastal sites, but negative affect was higher in coastal sites. Mixed-effect models showed no associations between biodiversity and wellbeing, implying other features are contributing to people's positive wellbeing. Despite no association between biodiversity and wellbeing, both green and coastal blue sites are important for wellbeing and supporting different bird communities. City planning authorities and public health professionals should ensure these social and environmental needs are met in developing cities in the Global South.

Enhancing the Health and Well-Being of People with Chronic Diseases: Assessment and Sustainable Development Planning for Therapeutic Landscapes after Urban Expansion

Under the influence of economic, environmental, and social structural changes, urban space expands and contracts to varying degrees and the everyday urban landscape changes in response. Over the past 20 years, a large number of cities in China have undergone a brief but rapid urban expansion and are moving toward shrinking cities. Most of these cities are now facing social problems such as an aging population and a high prevalence of chronic diseases. Therefore, the “therapeutic” role and impact of everyday landscapes in these cities need to be examined in the context of urban development processes through appropriate assessment methods. Therefore, this study applies the ANP-mV model to examine the therapeutic nature of everyday urban landscapes in different development periods, with the aim of enhancing the health and well-being of people with chronic diseases. Firstly, this study uses the city of Jinzhou in Northeast China as an example to develop a framework for assessing the therapeutic nature of everyday urban landscapes based on the health care needs of people with chronic diseases; secondly, it examines the therapeutic nature of the former Jinzhou Suburban Riverfront Forest Park as it has developed and evolved over the past 16 years; finally, it explores place-making and regeneration strategies for therapeutic landscapes from the perspectives of dynamic impact and sustainable development to enhance chronic illness patients' well-being. At the theoretical level, this study contributes by providing a methodology and research ideas for examining the “therapeutic” nature of everyday urban landscapes and proposing further development plans for renewal, constructing a framework for assessing therapeutic landscapes, and elucidating the relationship between networks of influence and the relative importance of various assessment dimensions/elements. At the practical application level, the contribution of this study is to provide local policymakers with a key decision basis for the future development planning of the East Lake Forest Park. The aim is to explore landscape creation and regeneration strategies for the East Lake Forest Park in the context of Jinzhou's progressive move toward a shrinking city, in order to sustain the well-being of the chronically ill.

Influence of the Belgian Coast on Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic

There is increasing evidence that blue spaces, particularly coastal environments, are beneficial for well-being. During the first-wave lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, access to the coast was restricted due to restraint in circulation. Making use of this unique opportunity, this study investigated whether access and visits to the coast were positively associated with well-being by using a quasi-experimental design. The emotions of awe and nostalgia were studied as potential mediators between coastal visits and well-being. A total of 687 Flemish adults took part in an online survey that was launched end of April until beginning of June 2020. After controlling for covariates, results showed that access to the coast, but not visit frequency, was positively associated with well-being. More specifically, coastal residents reported less boredom and worry, and more happiness than inland residents. Awe and nostalgia were not significantly associated with coastal visits, but awe was negatively correlated with boredom. The study suggests a potential buffer effect of residential proximity to the coast against negative psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the notion that the coast has a positive impact on well-being.

Photovoice accounts of third places: Refugee and asylum seeker populations' experiences of therapeutic space

This article draws on a photo-voice project carried out in the North West, UK, with 30 members of the asylum seeker and refugee population. The findings explore participants' experiences of 'third places' (for example, public green space and libraries), that were distinctly set apart from the domestic dwelling (first places), and institutional sites of exclusion, for example, immigration reporting centres (second places). These third places became affective sanctuaries that allowed for emotional retreat in the midst of the UK's exclusionary and repressive asylum regime. Moreover, for this group third places were places where participants could (re)connect with identities beyond the refugee label, and where cultural and transnational ties could be fostered. It is important that policy makers do not overlook the significance of third places for the wellbeing of community members, particularly asylum seeker and refugee populations.

Outdoor recreation and nature's contribution to well-being in a pandemic situation - Case Turku, Finland

Urban green infrastructure provides a range of experiences for people and various health benefits that support human well-being. To increase urban resilience, exceptional situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, are important to learn from. This study aims to understand how the residents in Turku, a middle-sized city in Finland, perceived their outdoor recreation changed and how nature contributed to their subjective well-being during the early phases of the COVID-19. Sites of outdoor recreation and associated ecosystem service benefits were gathered through a map-based survey. In addition, the contribution of nature on subjective well-being was measured through Likert scale statements and the perceived changes in outdoor recreation behaviour were measured through self-reported number of days and from responses to open survey questions. Data was analysed through quantitative, qualitative and spatial methods. The results show that nearly half of the respondents increased outdoor recreation and the majority of outdoor recreation sites were visited more or as often as before the pandemic. The spatial analysis revealed that the most often visited recreation sites were near forests, semi-natural areas and housing areas as well as relatively close to respondent's residence. Respondents had various reasons for changes in outdoor recreation behaviour. For some a shift to working remotely and changes in everyday routines led to spending time outdoors more often and for some spending less while others avoided recreation in crowded areas due to social distancing. The results also indicate that people's opportunities to adapt to the pandemic conditions differ greatly. The nature's contribution to subjective well-being during COVID-19 was important regardless of respondent's outdoor recreation behaviour. Our study highlights that urban planning should respond to different needs for outdoor recreation in order to widely, and in a just way, promote the well-being benefits of urban nature during a pandemic, and to increase the resilience of the city and its residents. Participatory mapping can capture the variety in resident's values and identify key recreation sites of multiple ecosystem service benefits.

A Qualitative Analysis of UK Wetland Visitor Centres as a Health Resource

The health benefits associated with spending time in natural environments have been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns and restrictions to safeguard public health have exacerbated the pre-existing mental health crisis and rise of non-communicable diseases. Thus, the importance of nature as a health resource has been elevated, hastening calls for a better understanding of how health benefits might differ across user groups and nature provisions. In this regard, urban green spaces have become the greatest research focus; however, blue spaces, especially inland freshwater (e.g., wetlands), remain less studied. First-hand user experiences are also under-represented. This exploratory study examines the motivations and benefits of active wetland centre users in the UK, both during and after visits. Responses to three open-ended questions were collated online from 385 participants, and a qualitative content analysis was conducted based on an existing taxonomy from users of urban green spaces. The results showed strong motivations to visit due to the biodiversity at the site (mainly the birdlife), while less tangible nature (e.g., fresh air) and amenities were also important. In contrast to other studies on natural environments, physical activity was a less influential motivation. Salient derived effects included positive and intensely positive emotions, relaxation and mental restoration. After visits to wetland centres, feelings of vitality and satisfaction were the most prominent effects that emerged. For decision-makers looking to leverage inland blue spaces for public health benefit, our results highlight the broad range and relative prominence of the reasons for use and the associated perceived health benefits derived by users of UK wetland centres. They highlight how biodiversity, abiotic nature and good amenities are important qualities to consider when planning, managing and encouraging people to use natural environments for health benefit, qualities that may also provide important environmental co-benefits.

A fragmented sense of home: Reconfiguring therapeutic coastal encounters in Covid-19 times

A growing body of research suggests positive links between coastal proximity, interaction, human health and wellbeing. In 2020, following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people in the UK could not engage in their usual coastal practices due to a national lockdown and associated restrictions, including government bans in entering the sea. This paper shares findings from an exploratory study examining how these restrictions shaped the recreational coastal practices, perceptions and emotions of residents in the case study region of Devon, South West England. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 12 residents, with varying domestic and employment circumstances in the pandemic. We foreground three key themes identified through an inductive thematic analysis of the interviews: feeling 'at home' with the sea, experiencing a fragmented sense of home with Covid-19, and reconfiguring the coast as a therapeutic landscape. While important to understand the links between coastal proximity, health and wellbeing, we highlight the value of gaining more nuanced insights into the emotional, social, material and temporal dynamics that can re-shape the therapeutic potential of coastal encounter in the largely unprecedented situation of a global pandemic.

Effects on general health associated with beach proximity in Barcelona (Spain)

Health benefits of blue spaces have been less studied compared with other urban natural environments. As a type of blue space, beaches are also affected by this lack of evidence, despite their cultural and economic importance in lots of coastal regions all over the world. Based on secondary health data from 3192 participants of the Health Survey of Barcelona 2016, we conducted a logit regression analysis to explore the relationship between people's general health and beach proximity from their dwelling place, controlling for several health determinants. Our main results suggested that having good general health was less likely for a 1-km increase in the linear distance to the closest beach from people's dwelling places (OR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.87, 1.00). Moreover, the probability of having good general health was 45% higher for people living in the first 2 km from the beach (OR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.09), relative to those living >5-10 km from it. Also, these health effects were stronger for people with a low family income. These findings contribute to grow the currently small body of research related to health benefits of beach spaces. Likewise, they encourage fostering the use of these spaces for health promotion in cities, as well as protecting them and improving their accessibility and safety. Further research should lean towards the underlying causes of these health benefits linked to people's exposure to beach spaces.

Wellness Tourism—New Challenges and Opportunities for Tourism in Salou

Following a long history of using various strategies and policies for diversification and seasonal adjustment in the face of the challenges of achieving economic, social, and environmental sustainability, sun and beach destinations should also consider targeting the wellness tourism market as a post pandemic opportunity and long-term solution. Salou is a mature sun and beach destination in the Mediterranean, but one which, for some time, has had an increasing commitment to family and sports tourism as a result of a strategic renewal process. Now, with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the destination management organization is considering the evolution of the model, the internalization of sustainability as a fundamental value, and the impact of different markets. In this study, we examined the challenges the Salou Tourist Board has faced during the development of a post pandemic model for sustainable tourism and what strategies it has adopted in response. We also considered the opportunities and competitive advantages that Salou has in the field of wellness tourism. The results obtained should encourage the continuation of work that promotes the environmental axis of sustainability and adds value to the natural resources on which it depends, including the sea and the landscape, while maintaining the environmental quality of the resources.

Running bodies and the affective spaces of health in and beyond marathon running in China

This paper explores the affective formation of health and space/place through an examination of the affective and bodily practices of marathon runners in China. By elaborating the idea of "affective spaces of health", we investigate not only how the affective potential of running bodies enables a therapeutic and individualised form of selfhood in response to China's post-socialist transformation, but also how affective atmospheres might condition and discipline runners' affective capacities for health. The paper therefore questions the simplistic association of health with particular qualities of place, and calls for research to focus on the affective, dispersed and fluid spaces of health instead.

Investigating the mental health implications of urban environments with neuroscientific methods and mobile technologies: A systematic literature review

Urbanization is an ongoing global process that is influencing and shaping individual mental health and well-being. This paper aims to provide an overview of the current literature containing state-of-the-art neuroscientific and mobile technologies that have been used to investigate the mental health implications of urban environments. Searches for peer-reviewed primary research articles were conducted in PubMed and SCOPUS, returning 33,443 papers; 90 empirical articles published from 1981 to 2021 were included in the final synthesis. Central findings suggest virtual reality and mobile electroencephalography to be the most commonly used methods, and demanding mood, affect, and health phenomena or states to be the most common concepts of study in both physical built settings and natural urban spaces. Recommendations for both future practice and study noting particular opportunities for future methodological contributions are discussed.

Life Course Nature Exposure and Mental Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Future Directions

Recently, an emerging body of literature has examined the relationships between early life nature exposure and mental health in later life; however, no critical synthesis yet exists regarding the extent and strength of these relationships. This study presents the first systematic review of studies in this growing area. Following the PRISMA framework, we searched six databases (i.e., Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL); conducted identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion analyses; and identified a final set of 29 articles. The review set comprises primarily longitudinal studies, with several cross-sectional studies using retrospective measures of childhood nature exposure. The majority of included studies were published between 2016 and 2020 and conducted in Europe and North America. Five domains of mental health outcomes are associated with early-life nature exposure: incidence of mental disorders, psychiatric symptoms and emotions, conduct problems in children, cognitive function, and subjective well-being. The evidence lends support to an overall beneficial role of early nature exposure on mental health, although inconsistencies are reported. Taken together, the evidence does not suggest that exposure at any given life stage is more saliently associated with mental health outcomes than at others. We discuss the validity concerns and methodological remedies and offer directions for future research.

Therapeutic landscape experiences of everyday geographies within the wider community: A scoping review

As community dwelling populations of older people and those living with chronic and life limiting conditions continue to grow, the role of everyday geographies, particularly of community based settings and activities, in supporting health and wellbeing has become a focus in both research and policy development. The therapeutic landscape scholarship provides a holistic view of how place promotes health and wellbeing, and has in recent years expanded its focus from reputable places of healing to everyday geographies. Based on a scoping review of 45 studies on everyday community based therapeutic landscapes, this paper identifies and critically examines the settings, populations and mechanisms of therapeutic experiences. It presents critical summaries of the scales and boundaries of landscapes; the diverse and dichotomous characteristics of places; the therapeutic benefits of proximal and distal socio-spatial interactions; the role of everyday settings and activities as sources of refuge, anchor and resonance and finally the broader social, cultural, political and economic contexts in which everyday therapeutic landscapes are embedded. In so doing the paper highlights the complex nature of everyday therapeutic landscape experiences and how this research can further inform the development of community based settings and activities that promote health and wellbeing. It also identifies areas for future research on everyday therapeutic landscapes.

Evaluating the literature of therapeutic landscapes with an emphasis on the search for the dimensions of health: A systematic review

Health geography emphasizes landscape capacity as a perspective for examining health dimensions. Much of this emphasis is on the concept of therapeutic landscapes. In the last two decades, changes in the therapeutic landscapes concerning health, as well as why and how the development of the emphasis on the dimensions of the health in the landscape in proportion to the temporal-spatial course of literature in this field can be considered. The framework of the present study is based on a systematic review of therapeutic landscapes in the geography of health in the last two decades. This systematic literature review followed the PRISMA guidelines. Searching for "Therapeutic Landscapes" term at Science Direct and PubMed, screening, 56 eligible articles were selected in the journal Social Science and Medicine, and Health and Place. The results of the systematic review, aiming to search for the health dimensions of the therapeutic landscape, and recognize main gaps, identified three main issues: scale and range of users of therapeutic landscapes, the position importance of experiences in therapeutic landscapes, therapeutic landscapes as the holistic paradigm. The results of the research show that in recent years, attention to multiple dimensions of health, especially non-physical relationships of therapeutic landscapes and multiple dimensions of health, has been considered more and more by researchers. Personal-social perceptions and experiences are also continually evolving, so the concept of therapeutic landscapes and its relationship to health is considered living and dynamic.

Virtual Reality Representations of Nature to Improve Well-Being amongst Older Adults: a Rapid Review

Poor well-being amongst older adults poses a serious health concern. Simultaneously, research shows that contact with nature can improve various facets of well-being, including physical, social, and mental well-being. However, nature is not always accessible for older adults due to mobility restrictions and related care needs that come with age. A promising strategy aims at bringing nature inside through pervasive technologies. However, so far, there is little academic understanding of essential nature characteristics, psychological processes involved, and means for implementation in practice. The current study used a three-folded rapid review to assess current understanding and strategies used for improving well-being for older adults through virtual reality representations of nature. Searches were performed across three databases, followed-up by content-based evaluation of abstracts. In total, a set of 25 relevant articles was identified. Only three studies specifically focus on digital nature as an intervention strategy for improving well-being amongst older adults. Although these studies provide useful starting points for the design and (technological) development of such environments, they do not generate understanding of how specific characteristics of virtual nature representations impact social well-being measures in particular, and of the underlying psychological processes involved. We conclude that follow-up research is warranted to close the gap between insights and findings from nature research, gerontology, health research, and human-technology interaction.

Coastal Communities, Leisure and Wellbeing: Advancing a Trans-Disciplinary Agenda for Understanding Ocean-Human Relationships in Aotearoa New Zealand

Commentators are advocating for research to better understand relationships between healthy coastal ecosystems and human wellbeing. Doing so requires inter- and transdisciplinary approaches across humanities, arts, social sciences, and science and technology disciplines. These approaches include culturally diverse knowledge systems, such as indigenous ones, that locate sustainable use of and relationships to marine ecosystems. This paper contributes to this agenda through a case-study of relationships between coastal ecosystems and human wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand. This article highlights interconnected cultural and wellbeing benefits of, and socio-ecological relationships between, these coastal ecosystems drawing on a case study of one ocean-based, 'immersive' leisure activity, surfing. Further, it examines how these relationships impact human physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and the wellbeing of communities and ecosystems. The research illustrates that surfing creates strong bonds between practitioners and coastal places, linking the health of marine environments and people. We demonstrate the value of a transdisciplinary place-based approach that integrates research across the humanities and social sciences and engages with Indigenous knowledge (Mātauranga Māori). This argument for multicultural co-learning shows the value of Western and Māori vantage points for how we understand coastal blue spaces. Indigenous perspectives, we conclude, deepen appreciation, as well as equity considerations, of how we understand place, wellbeing, and long-term sustainable relationships with marine ecosystems.

"Human Flourishing with Dignity": A Meta-Ethnography of the Meaning of Gardens for Elderly in Nursing Homes and Residential Care Settings

This study aims to identify and synthesize qualitative research regarding residents' experiences of gardens while living in nursing homes and residential care facilities. To provide an optimal nursing environment inspired by nature, we need to derive knowledge from the residents' perspective. An interpretive meta-synthesis approach, a meta-ethnography, was chosen for this study. Altogether, six articles representing three continents and comprising 124 participants were included. The six articles that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were analyzed and synthesized according to Noblit & Hare's seven phases of meta-ethnography and the recent eMERGe guidelines. Four themes were identified: (1) The garden-a place to feel a connection with life, (2) the garden-a place to sense and find comfort, (3) the garden-a place to feel healthy and alive, and (4) the garden-a place to relate past and present. An overarching metaphor, "human flourishing with dignity," offers a deeper understanding of the meaning of the garden for older people in nursing homes and residential care. This meta-ethnography provides a reflective, systematic, data-driven synthesis based on literature spanning ten years. Rather than simply relying on retelling, the narration of experiences according to the primary researcher's descriptions and interpretations results in new knowledge. The significance of gardens for older people's health and well-being needs to be given greater attention and space in nursing practice, education, and health policies.

Health, Wellness, and Place Attachment During and Post Health Pandemics

Therapeutic landscapes encapsulate healing and recovery notions in natural and built environmental settings. Tourists’ perceptions determine their decision making of health and wellness tourism consumption. Researchers struggle with the conceptualization of the term ‘therapeutic landscapes’ across disciplines. Drawing on extant literature searched in nine databases, this scoping review identifies different dimensions of therapeutic landscapes. Out of identified 178 literature sources, 124 met the inclusion criteria of identified keywords. We review the contribution and the potential of environmental psychology in understanding tourist behavior to promote health and wellness tourism destinations in a post COVID-19 context. We develop and propose a conceptual framework comprising: (1) perceived goodness of therapeutic landscapes, (2) health and wellness consumption, (3) COVID-19 pandemic perceived health and wellness risk, (4) place attachment, and (5) re-visitation. We propose measurement scales and discuss implications and major issues in the immediate and post the COVID-19 pandemic to inform future research.

Researching at sea: Exploring the 'swim-along' interview method

Interest in researching embodied experiences of activity connected to therapeutic landscapes, spaces or places has led to a range of evolving methods that aim to move beyond traditional sit-down, talk-based qualitative modes of researching. Following the sensory turn, this paper explores a novel 'swim-along' method used to interview people whilst swimming immersed in sea water. By juxtaposing this with insights gleaned from a subsequent sit-down interview, the paper examines implications for deepening our understanding of visceral, sensory, embodied experiences, the methods we can use to access them and how these structure researcher/participant interaction.

Blue space, health and well-being: A narrative overview and synthesis of potential benefits

Research into the potential health and well-being benefits from exposure to green spaces such as parks and woodlands has led to the development of several frameworks linking the different strands of evidence. The current paper builds on these to provide a model of how exposure to aquatic environments, or blue spaces such as rivers, lakes and the coast, in particular, may benefit health and well-being. Although green and blue spaces share many commonalities, there are also important differences. Given the breadth of the research, spanning multiple disciplines and research methodologies, a narrative review approach was adopted which aimed to highlight key issues and processes rather than provide a definitive balance of evidence summary. Novel aspects of our framework included the inclusion of outcomes that are only indirectly good for health through being good for the environment, the addition of nature connectedness as both a trait and state, and feedback loops where actions/interventions to increase exposure are implemented. Limitations of the review and areas for future work, including the need to integrate potential benefits with potential risks, are discussed.

Beyond adherence to social prescriptions: How places, social acquaintances and stories help walking group members to thrive

Social prescribing (SP) is an increasingly popular means of enabling medical professionals to refer people to social activities. However, how individuals accommodate activity groups into their routines has been neglected by studies exploring SP. This paper uses qualitative approaches to explore how place and sociability influence the experiences of individuals with type-2 diabetes in a social prescription walking group. Using in-situ conversations and in-depth interviews, we demonstrate how place and sociability extends beyond a group via storytelling, and allows individuals to become part of a group. Understanding place, sociability and storytelling is critical in characterising the benefits of social prescription.