Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective

Encouraging online consumers into making better food choices: The power of nature exposure on healthy food choices

BACKGROUND

online environments can influence food desire and choices. We tested if online calming nature and stressful street environments can affect desire for healthy and unhealthy foods.

METHOD

we asked 238 participants (40 ± 14 yrs) to rate their desire (100 mm VAS) for 7 low calorie nutrient rich foods (Healthy) and 7 high calorie nutrient poor foods (Unhealthy), and perceived stress (state anxiety in STAI), before and after imagining themselves in a control, nature park, or busy street condition.

RESULTS

participants who imagined themselves being in a nature park had a significant higher desire for Healthy foods, than participants in the busy street condition (p < 0.05). Participants in the busy street condition decreased their desire for Healthy foods after they imagined themselves in a busy street (p < 0.05)). However, perceived stress did not impact the association between condition and desire for low calorie foods nor high calorie foods.

CONCLUSION

this study suggests that online environments can have an impact on healthy food desires, which could be of importance for the increased number of food choices which are made in online environments.

Wilding cities for biodiversity and people: a transdisciplinary framework

Accelerating urbanisation and associated lifestyle changes result in loss of biodiversity and diminished wellbeing of people through fewer direct interactions and experiences with nature. In this review, we propose the notion of urban wilding (the promotion of autonomous ecological processes that are independent of historical land-use conditions, with minimal direct human maintenance and planting interventions) and investigate its propensity to improve biodiversity and people-nature connections in cities. Through a large interdisciplinary synthesis, we explore the ecological mechanisms through which urban wilding can promote biodiversity in cities, investigate the attitudes and relations of city dwellers towards urban wild spaces, and discuss the integration of urban wilding into the fabric of cities and its governance. We show that favouring assembly spontaneity by reducing planting interventions, and functional spontaneity by limiting maintenance practices, can promote plant diversity and provide ecological resources for numerous organisms at habitat and city scales. These processes could reverse biotic homogenisation, but further studies are needed to understand the effects of wilding on invasive species and their consequences. From a socio-ecological perspective, the attitudes of city dwellers towards spontaneous vegetation are modulated by successional stages, with grassland and woodland stages preferred, but dense shrubby vegetation stages disliked. Wild spaces can diversify physical interactions with nature, and enrich multi-sensory, affective and cognitive experiences of nature in cities. However, some aspects of wild spaces can cause anxiety, feeling unsafe, and the perception of abandonment. These negative attitudes could be mitigated by subtle design and maintenance interventions. While nature has long been thought of as ornamental and instrumental in cities, urban wilding could help to develop relational and intrinsic values of nature in the fabric of cities. Wildness and its singular aesthetics should be combined with cultural norms, resident uses and urban functions to plan and design urban spatial configurations promoting human-non-human cohabitation. For urban wilding to be socially just and adapted to the needs of residents, its implementation should be backed by inclusive governance opening up discussion forums to residents and urban workers. Scientists can support these changes by collaborating with urban actors to design and experiment with new wild spaces promoting biodiversity and wellbeing of people in cities.

Environmental Toxicant Exposure and Depressive Symptoms

Importance

Recognizing associations between exposure to common environmental toxicants and mental disorders such as depression is crucial for guiding targeted mechanism research and the initiation of disease prevention efforts.

Objectives

To comprehensively screen and assess the associations between potential environmental toxicants and depressive symptoms and to assess whether systemic inflammation serves as a mediator.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A total of 3427 participants from the 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination and Survey who had information on blood or urine concentrations of environmental toxicants and depression scores assessed by the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were included. Statistical analysis was performed from July 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024.

Exposures

Sixty-two toxicants in 10 categories included acrylamide, arsenic, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, iodine, metals, nicotine metabolites, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compound (VOC) metabolites; and perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate.

Main Outcomes and Measures

An exposome-wide association study and the deletion-substitution-addition algorithm were used to assess associations with depression scores (PHQ-9 ≥5) adjusted for other important covariates. A mediation analysis framework was used to evaluate the mediating role of systemic inflammation assessed by the peripheral white blood cell count.

Results

Among the 3427 adults included, 1735 (50.6%) were women, 2683 (78.3%) were younger than 65 years, and 744 (21.7%) were 65 years or older, with 839 (24.5%) having depressive symptoms. In terms of race and ethnicity, 570 participants (16.6%) were Mexican American, 679 (19.8%) were non-Hispanic Black, and 1314 (38.3%) were non-Hispanic White. We identified associations between 27 chemical compounds or metals in 6 of 10 categories of environmental toxicants and the prevalence of depressive symptoms, including the VOC metabolites N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxy-3-butenyl)-l-cysteine (odds ratio [OR], 1.74 [95% CI, 1.38, 2.18]) and total nicotine equivalent-2 (OR, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.26-1.59]). Men and younger individuals appear more vulnerable to environmental toxicants than women and older individuals. Peripheral white blood cell count mediated 5% to 19% of the associations.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this representative cross-sectional study of adults with environmental toxicant exposures, 6 categories of environmental toxicants were associated with depressive symptoms with mediation by systemic inflammation. This research provides insight into selecting environmental targets for mechanistic research into the causes of depression and facilitating efforts to reduce environmental exposures.

Engagement with nature and proinflammatory biology

BACKGROUND

Prior evidence indicates that contact with nature improves physical health, but data explicitly linking engagement with nature to biological processes are limited.

DESIGN

Leveraging survey and biomarker data from 1,244 adults (mean age = 54.50 years, range = 34-84 years) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS II) study, we examined associations between nature engagement, operationalized as the frequency of pleasant nature encounters, and systemic inflammation. Concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and fibrinogen were measured from fasting blood samples. Analyses adjusted for sociodemographic, health behavior, and psychological well-being covariates.

RESULTS

More frequent positive nature contact was independently associated with lower circulating levels of inflammation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings add to a growing literature on the salubrious health effects of nature by demonstrating how such experiences are instantiated in downstream physiological systems, potentially informing future interventions and public health policies.

How mobility pattern shapes the association between static green space and dynamic green space exposure

Greenspaces are crucial for enhancing mental and physical health. Recent research has shifted from static methods of assessing exposure to greenspaces, based on fixed locations, to dynamic approaches that account for individual mobility. These dynamic evaluations utilize advanced technologies like GPS tracking and remote sensing to provide more precise exposure estimates. However, little work has been conducted to compare dynamic and static exposure assessments and the effect of individual mobility on these evaluations. This study delves into how greenspaces around homes and workplaces, along with mobility patterns, affect dynamic greenspace exposure in Hong Kong. Data was collected from 787 participants in four communities in Hong Kong using GPS, portable sensors, and surveys. Using multiple statistical tests, our study revealed significant variations in participants' daily mobility patterns across socio-demographic and temporal factors. Further, using linear mixed-effects models, we identified complex and statistically significant interactions between participants' static greenspace exposure and their mobility patterns. Our findings suggest that individual mobility patterns significantly modify the relationship between static and dynamic greenspace exposure and play a critical role in explaining socio-demographic and temporal context differences in the relationship between static and dynamic greenspace exposure.

Visual environment in schools and student depressive symptoms: Insights from a prospective study across multiple cities in eastern China

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of the school visual environment on depressive symptoms in children and adolescents based on cohort study in eastern China. The school visual environment-related indicators included in this study comprise personal factors (visual impairment) and school-related factors (classroom lighting, school green spaces and school air quality).

METHOD

The follow-up cohort comprises 15,348 students from 283 primary and secondary schools in eastern China. This represents the one-year outcomes of a school-based myopia-mental health cohort study. Data collection includes basic demographics (age, gender, region, etc.), physical examination indicators, behavioral indicators, and school visual environment-related indicators.

RESULT

After a one-year follow-up, we found that compared to the more severe vision impairment group (≤4.0), healthy vision group (≥5.0) had a positive effect against the occurrence of depressive symptoms during consecutive follow-ups, with an RR value of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.57-0.66). Higher values of blackboard illumination appear to be associated with greater positive effects, with an RR (Q75%∼Q100% range) value of 0.87(95% CI: 0.81-0.93). School green spaces seem to exhibit relatively good positive effects when in the Q25%∼Q75% range. The combination of physical activity (Weekly high-intensity exercise) with school air quality(PM2.5≤50%)showed a better positive effect, with an RR value of 0.51(95%CI:0.48-0.55).

CONCLUSION

When addressing students' depressive symptoms, it is crucial to improve the visual environment both at the school level and in students' personal level. Paying appropriate attention to modifiable behaviors, like regular participation in high-intensity exercise sessions, can help alleviate students' depressive symptoms.

Effects of simulated multi-sensory stimulation integration on physiological and psychological restoration in virtual urban green space environment

Virtual urban green environment images and audio stimuli had been proven to have restorative effects on subjects' physical and mental health. In this area, researchers predominantly focused on visual, auditory and olfactory aspects, while tactile and gustatory senses have been minimally explored. However, the optimal combination of sensory stimuli for promoting physical and mental recovery remains unclear. Therefore, a simulated sensory stimulation approach involving 240 participants was employed, with 30 individuals included in each of the eight experimental groups: the visual-auditory (VA), visual-auditory-olfactory (VAO), visual-auditory-tactile (VAT), visual-auditory-gustatory(VAG), visual-auditory-olfactory-tactile (VAOT), visual-auditory-olfactory-gustatory (VAOG), visual-auditory-tactile-gustatory (VATG), and visual-auditory-olfactory-tactile-gustatory (VAOTG) groups. This study aimed to explore the differences in participants' physiological and psychological health recovery after exposure to different combinations of simulated sensory stimuli in virtual UGSs. The results indicated that the following: (1) In terms of physiological recovery, the blood pressure of the 8 experimental groups decreased significantly after the experiment, indicating that the virtual urban green space environment has a certain recovery effect on physiological state. The combination of VAOTG stimuli in the multisensory group resulted in the best blood pressure recovery (p < 0.05). Tactile is an important sense to enhance the physiological recovery effect. Olfactory-tactile or tactile-gustatory stimuli interactions significantly enhance physiological recovery, emphasizing the importance of tactile stimulation in improving physiological recovery. (2) In terms of psychological recovery, the common trigger of olfactory-gustatory is the most key element to enhance psychological recovery through multi-sensory stimulation of virtual urban green space environment. VAOG stimulation had the best effect on psychological recovery (p < 0.05), followed by VAOTG stimulation (p < 0.05). Gustatory is an important sense to enhance the psychological recovery effect, and both the tactile-gustatory interaction and the olfactory-gustatory interaction significantly enhance the recovery effect. At the same time, the psychological recovery effect obtained by four or more sensory combinations was higher than that obtained by two or three sensory stimulation groups. This study confirms more possibilities for ways to restore physical and mental health through virtual natural environments. It expands the research on the benefits of virtual nature experience and provides theoretical support for the application of this method.

Nature is resource, playground, and gift: What artificial intelligence reveals about human-Nature relationships

This paper demonstrates how artificial-intelligence language analysis can inform understanding of human-nature relationships and other social phenomena. We demonstrate three techniques by investigating relationships within the popular word2vec word embedding, which is trained on a sample from over 50,000 worldwide news sources. Our first technique investigates what theory-generated analogies are most similar to nature:people. The resource:user analogy is most similar, followed by the playground:child and gift:receiver analogies. Our second technique explores whether nature-related words are affiliated with words that denote race, class, or gender. Nature words tend slightly toward associations with femininity and wealth. Our third technique demonstrates how the relationship between nature and wellbeing compares to other concepts' relationships to wellbeing-e.g., spirituality-wellbeing, social relations-wellbeing. Nature is more semantically connected to wellbeing than money, social relations, and multiple other wellbeing correlates. Findings are consistent with previous social science and humanities research on human-nature relationships, but do not duplicate them exactly; our results thus offer insight into dominant trends and prevalence of associations. Our analysis also offers a model for using word embeddings to investigate a wide variety of topics.

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.

Mental health is positively associated with biodiversity in Canadian cities

Cities concentrate problems that affect human well-being and biodiversity. Exploring the link between mental health and biodiversity can inform more holistic public health and urban planning. Here we examined associations between bird and tree species diversity estimates from eBird community science datasets and national forest inventories with self-rated mental health metrics from the Canadian Community Health Survey. We linked data across 36 Canadian Metropolitan Areas from 2007-2022 at a postal code level. After controlling for covariates, we found that bird and tree species diversity were significantly positively related to good self-reported mental health. Living in a postal code with bird diversity one standard deviation higher than the mean increased reporting of good mental health by 6.64%. Postal codes with tree species richness one standard deviation more than the mean increased reporting of good mental health by 5.36%. Our results suggest that supporting healthy urban ecosystems may also benefit human well-being.

Cities in nature

More than half of the world's population live in cities, and they have benefitted from the ecosystem services provided by urban biodiversity. International conventions like the Convention on Biological Diversity have provided recommendations on how to engage local governments and cities in the implementation of their strategic plans. In parallel, recognizing this, cities conserve, restore and enhance biodiversity in many practical ways. A list of general strategies adopted by cities is presented. The rich and diverse experiences of eleven cities, i.e. Abu Dhabi, Auckland, Durban, Edinburgh, Edmonton, Hyderabad, Los Angeles, São Paulo, Singapore, Toluca and Vitoria-Gasteiz, which have successfully conserved biodiversity in urbanized landscape across the globe, are shared. These cities have all applied the Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity as an evaluation and monitoring tool for biodiversity conservation efforts, in addition to using it innovatively for other purposes. Cities can play a pivotal role in ensuring that Target 12 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework will be achieved. Upscaling cities' models of success would require a worldwide concerted effort involving everyone, i.e. all levels of stakeholders. Mainstreaming of biodiversity into all sectors, including commercial, economic, financial, industrial and technological, and the incorporation of biodiversity into decision-making in urban planning and management would be a game-changer. This article is part of the theme issue 'Bringing nature into decision-making'.

Nature-based social prescribing programmes: opportunities, challenges, and facilitators for implementation

BACKGROUND

Evidence on the health benefits of spending time in nature has highlighted the importance of provision of blue and green spaces where people live. The potential for health benefits offered by nature exposure, however, extends beyond health promotion to health treatment. Social prescribing links people with health or social care needs to community-based, non-clinical health and social care interventions to improve health and wellbeing. Nature-based social prescribing (NBSP) is a variant that uses the health-promoting benefits of activities carried out in natural environments, such as gardening and walking. Much current NBSP practice has been developed in the UK, and there is increasing global interest in its implementation. This requires interventions to be adapted for different contexts, considering the needs of populations and the structure of healthcare systems.

METHODS

This paper presents results from an expert group participatory workshop involving 29 practitioners, researchers, and policymakers from the UK and Germany's health and environmental sectors. Using the UK and Germany, two countries with different healthcare systems and in different developmental stages of NBSP practice, as case studies, we analysed opportunities, challenges, and facilitators for the development and implementation of NBSP.

RESULTS

We identified five overarching themes for developing, implementing, and evaluating NBSP: Capacity Building; Accessibility and Acceptability; Networks and Collaborations; Standardised Implementation and Evaluation; and Sustainability. We also discuss key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for each overarching theme to understand how they could be developed to support NBSP implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

NBSP could offer significant public health benefits using available blue and green spaces. We offer guidance on how NBSP implementation, from wider policy support to the design and evaluation of individual programmes, could be adapted to different contexts. This research could help inform the development and evaluation of NBSP programmes to support planetary health from local and global scales.

Fine-tuning the practical relevance of a quality framework for integrated nature-based interventions in healthcare facilities. A qualitative interview study

Introduction

Integrated nature-based interventions in healthcare facilities are gaining importance as promising health and biodiversity promotion strategies. This type of interventions combines the restoration of biodiversity in the vicinity of the healthcare facility with guiding patients in that natural environment for health outcomes. However, quality appraisal of these interventions is still poorly developed. Based on a recent scoping review, the authors developed a preliminary quality framework in support of healthcare facilities designing, implementing and evaluating integrated nature-based interventions. This present study aims to fine-tune the practical relevance of the quality framework within the emerging practice.

Methods

A qualitative interview study was conducted in seven healthcare facilities in Belgium. Using a combination of snowball and purposive sampling, 22 professionals, involved in the integrated nature-based intervention in their facility, participated in the study. The semi-structured interviews were transcribed and imported into NVivo. A deductive and inductive thematic analysis was used to explore the practical relevance of the quality framework. A stakeholders' assembly review and a member checking of the findings were also part of the study.

Findings

Twenty-two interviews with nature management coordinators, healthcare professionals, and healthcare managers were conducted by three principal investigators in seven healthcare facilities implementing integrated nature-based interventions. The contextualization and complexity of integrated nature-based interventions in the participating healthcare facilities demonstrated the need for an evidence-based quality framework describing nature-based interventions. The study led to nine quality criteria, confirming the eight quality criteria derived from a previous scoping review, and the identification of a new quality criterion 'Capacity building, leverage and continuity'. These quality criteria have been refined. Finally, a proposal for a quality framework was developed and operationalized in a checklist. Deployment of the quality framework should be embedded in a continuous cyclical, adaptive process of monitoring and adjusting based on evaluations at each phase of an integrated nature-based intervention.

Discussion

Bridging the domains of healthcare and nature management in the context of an integrated nature-based intervention in a healthcare facility requires a transdisciplinary approach. Scientific frameworks such as "complex interventions," Planetary Health and One Health can support the co-design, implementation and evaluation of integrated nature-based interventions within a cyclical, adaptive process. In addition, the importance of the quality of the interactions with nature could gain from more sophisticated attention. Finally, the implications for healthcare facilities, policymakers and education are discussed, as well as the strengths and limitations of the study.

The Impact of Insider Researcher Trainees in Recruiting and Retaining Latinx in an Outdoor Health Promotion Research Study

Latinx represent the second largest ethnic group in the USA and remain significantly underrepresented in research studies. Efforts to better include Latinx make use of community-engaged research (CEnR) approaches, peer-navigators, and cultural humility training for research teams. While these efforts have led to slight increases in Latinx participation, studies to identify strategic practices for better inclusion of Latinx participants are needed. The objective of this study was to qualitatively examine factors leading to successful recruitment and retention of Latinx participants in the Promoting Activity and Stress Reduction in the Outdoors (PASITO) intervention. For this intervention, 99 low-income Latinx clients in a local community were contacted and 52 participants were recruited (53%). All were retained in the 3-month intervention. Of these, 12 were interviewed within 6 months of the close of PASITO by bi-cultural and bi-lingual non-research staff. They conducted one-on-one structured telephone interviews. Of the twelve participants, three (25%) were men, nine (75%) were women, and the mean age was 43.7 (SD = 8.7). Four critical themes for the recruitment and retention of Latinx populations emerged from the interviews: (1) importance of insider researchers; (2) sense of community and belonging; (3) responsive programming; and (4) health-promoting activities. These findings support the significant role insider researchers can play, and social identity theory provides a useful framework for understanding the role of insider researchers in recruiting and retaining Latinx, and likely other minoritized groups, in clinical studies. Insider researchers possess the skills, training, community cultural wealth, in-depth understanding of their communities, and structural competencies that position them to carry out more inclusive studies to address the needs of marginalized communities and advance science.

Ecocebo: How the interaction between environment and drug effects may improve pharmacotherapy outcomes

This narrative review describes the research on the effects of the association between environmental context and medications, suggesting the benefit of specific design interventions in adjunction to pharmacotherapy. The literature on Evidence-Based Design (EBD) studies and Neuro-Architecture show how contact with light, nature, and specific physical features of urban and interior architecture may enhance the effects of analgesic, anxiolytics, and antidepressant drugs. This interaction mirrors those already known between psychedelics, drugs of abuse, and setting. Considering that the physical feature of space is a component of the complex placebo configuration, the aim is to highlight those elements of built or natural space that may help to improve drug response in terms of efficacy, tolerability, safety, and compliance. Ecocebo, the integration of design approaches such as EBD and Neuro-Architecture may thus contribute to a more efficient, cost-sensitive, and sustainable pharmacotherapy.

Having a tree in front of one's home is associated with GREATER subjective wellbeing in adult residents in Melbourne, Australia, and Toronto, Canada

While urban trees can be important determinants of human health and wellbeing in world cities, the specific influence of nearby urban trees upon human wellbeing has not been adequately explored. While many studies have associated urban greenery abundance with wellbeing scores, many measures of urban greenery do not specify the type of vegetation or the impact of co-location. Here we fill this gap by associating self-reported measures of the presence of nearby trees (tree in front of one's home) with validated subjective wellbeing (SWB) scores. We also tested for the mediating role of what people thought about trees and nature, with a focus on the values people associate with urban trees and nature relatedness (NR). We used electronic panel survey data based on a demographic and geographical representative sample of more than 3400 residents living in Toronto, Canada, and Melbourne, Australia. We analysed these data using regression-based mediation and path analyses. We found that having a tree in front of one's home was strongly and positively associated with SWB scores in both cities with similar results (Melbourne, β = 0.17, p < 0.05; Toronto, β = 0.18, p < 0.05), while accounting for NR, values associated with urban trees, and demographics (e.g., age, education, home ownership). The mediating role of NR and values was small. The specific pathways of association between tree in front of one's home, SWB, NR, and values, varied by city, when accounting for demographics. We discuss how increasing the abundance of nearby urban trees in cities may also increase human wellbeing.

Increased urban greenspace in childhood associated with lower inattention deficit among adolescents

PURPOSE

There is a growing interest in assessing the benefits of exposure to urban greenspace on mental health due to the increased urbanization of youth and concerns for their mental health. We investigated the prospective associations of residential greenspace in childhood and mental health in adolescence. Use of a well-characterized birth cohort permitted adjustment for a range of potential confounding factors including family and neighborhood characteristics in addition to prior mental health problems, and exploration of moderation effects by sex and family socioeconomic status.

METHODS

We analyzed longitudinal data collected from 742 urban-dwelling participants of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Children Development. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within 250, 500, and 1000 m buffer zones surrounding the home residence was used to indicate childhood exposure to greenspace. Six self-reported mental health problems at 15/17 years were examined using the Mental Health and Social Inadaptation questionnaire: inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, conduct, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.

RESULTS

Childhood urban greenspace was associated with lower inattention problems in both females and males. We observed a 0.14 reduced standard deviation (SD) (β = - 0.14, SE = 0.05, p < 0.01) in relation to an interquartile range (IQR) increase of NDVI (0.15) at the 250 m buffer zone, and similar results were found in 500 m and 1000 m buffer zones. These associations only slightly attenuated after adjustment for individual (sex, childhood mental health), family (family SES, maternal age at birth, parental mental health, family composition), and neighborhood (material and social deprivation) characteristics (β = - 0.13, SE = 0.06, p = 0.03). No association was found for other mental health problems, and no moderation associations of sex or family socioeconomic status were observed.

CONCLUSION

 These findings suggest that increasing residential greenspace in cities may be associated with modest benefits in attentional capacities in youth, necessitating further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Land use and land cover dynamics in the Upper Ganga Riverine Wetland: unraveling ecosystem services over two decades

Anthropogenic activities have drastically transformed natural landscapes, profoundly impacting land use and land cover (LULC) and, consequently, the provision and functionality of ecosystem service values (ESVs). Evaluating the changes in LULC and their influence on ESVs is imperative to protect ecologically fragile ecosystems from degradation. This study focuses on a highly sensitive Upper Ganga riverine wetland in India, covering Hapur, Amroha, Bulandshahr, and Sambhal districts, which is well-known for its significant endemic flora and fauna. The study analyzes the subtle variability in ecosystem services offered by the various LULC biomes, including riverine wetland, built-up, cropland, forest, sandbar, and unused land. LULC classification is carried out using Landsat satellite imagery 5 and 8 for the years 2000, 2010, and 2020, using the random forest method. The spatiotemporal changing pattern of ESVs is assessed utilizing the value transfer method with two distinct value coefficients: global value coefficients (C14) for a worldwide perspective and modified local value coefficients X08 for a more specific local context. The results show a significant increase in built-up and unused land, with a corresponding decrease in wetlands and forests from 2000 to 2020. The combined ESVs for all the districts are worth US $5072 million (C14) and US $2139 million (X08) in the year 2000, which declined to US $4510 million (C14) and US $1770 million (X08) in the year 2020. The sensitivity analysis reveals that the coefficient of sensitivity (CS) is below one for all biomes, suggesting the robustness of the employed value coefficients in estimating ESVs. Moreover, the analysis identifies cropland, followed by forests and wetlands, as the LULC biomes most responsive to changes. This research provides crucial insights to stakeholders and policymakers for developing sustainable land management practices aimed at enhancing the ecological worth of the Upper Ganga Riverine Wetland.

Nature exposure and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Navigation Guide systematic review with meta-analysis

Prior reviews have highlighted that nature exposure was a valuable coping strategy enhancing mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, no existing reviews have determined the quality of evidence and risk of bias of the empirical studies supporting this claim. To address this gap, we employed a Navigation Guide systematic review and meta-analysis approach to investigate associations between nature exposure and mental health during the pandemic. Searches in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsycInfo retrieved relevant articles published between January 1, 2020, and March 4, 2024. We used the Navigation Guide methodology to assess the risk of bias and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) assessments to evaluate the overall quality of evidence. Our search retrieved 113 studies that met the inclusion criteria and reported diverse types of exposure, including nature availability, nature visit frequency, green space accessibility, and green space type, alongside associations with 12 mental health outcomes. Meta-analyses found access to gardens was associated with lower odds of depression [(Pooled odds ratio [OR] = 0.71, 95%CI = 0.61, 0.82), I2 = 0%, n = 3] and anxiety [(Pooled OR = 0.73, 95%CI = 0.63, 0.84), I2 = 0%, n = 3]. Increased time in green spaces was associated with lower level of stress [(Pooled Corr = -0.11, 95%CI = -0.17, -0.05), I2 = 0%, n = 2]. Higher frequency of visits to nature was associated with improved mental well-being [(Pooled standardized beta = 0.10, 95%CI = 0.07, 0.14), I2 = 0%, n = 2] and general mental health [(Pooled standardized beta = 0.11, 95%CI = 0.03-0.38), I2 = 82%, n = 2]. However, the number of pooled studies was small and the overall quality of evidence was "very low" for all outcomes, and high levels of bias were observed (26% of studies had high, 71% probably high). Nonetheless, given the trends in the results, nature-based solutions emphasizing exposure to gardens and green spaces near the home may have promoted psychological resilience during this public health crisis.

Nature and human well-being: The olfactory pathway

The world is undergoing massive atmospheric and ecological change, driving unprecedented challenges to human well-being. Olfaction is a key sensory system through which these impacts occur. The sense of smell influences quality of and satisfaction with life, emotion, emotion regulation, cognitive function, social interactions, dietary choices, stress, and depressive symptoms. Exposures via the olfactory pathway can also lead to (anti-)inflammatory outcomes. Increased understanding is needed regarding the ways in which odorants generated by nature (i.e., natural olfactory environments) affect human well-being. With perspectives from a range of health, social, and natural sciences, we provide an overview of this unique sensory system, four consensus statements regarding olfaction and the environment, and a conceptual framework that integrates the olfactory pathway into an understanding of the effects of natural environments on human well-being. We then discuss how this framework can contribute to better accounting of the impacts of policy and land-use decision-making on natural olfactory environments and, in turn, on planetary health.

The effect of outdoor activities on the medical expenditure of older people: multiple chain mediating effects of health benefits

BACKGROUND

With the global aging population, attention to the health and medical issues of older adults is increasing. By analyzing the relationship between older people's participation in outdoor activities and medical expenditure, this study aims to provide a scientific basis for improving their quality of life and reducing the medical burden.

METHODS

Data on outdoor activity participation, medical expenditures, and relevant variables were collected through questionnaires and databases. A multi-chain mediation effect model was established to analyze the impact of outdoor activities on the medical expenditure of older people, considering mediation effects and heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Results revealed that increased participation in outdoor activities among older adults correlated with lower medical expenditures. Outdoor activities positively influenced their health by improving mental health, cognition, eating habits, and activities of daily living, resulting in reduced medical expenditures. Robustness tests confirmed the consistent effect of outdoor activities on older people's medical expenditure.

CONCLUSION

These findings contribute to understanding the relationship between outdoor activities, health, and medical expenditure in older people, guiding policy formulation and interventions. Encouraging and supporting older adults in outdoor activities can enhance their quality of life and alleviate medical resource strain. The study's conclusions can also inform health promotion measures for other populations and serve as a basis for future research in this area.

Passive green space exposure leading to lower aggression: The mediating role of sense of control

Green spaces, integral to natural environments, have been extensively studied for their positive impact on mental health, yet their influence on social behavior, particularly aggression, is less explored. While prior research has predominantly emphasized the effects of actively engaging with nature, the significant role of passive nature exposure-a more common daily occurrence-has often been overlooked. We conducted two studies to explore the influence of passive green space exposure on aggression and the mediating effect of the sense of control. Study 1 (N = 240) utilized a cross-sectional survey to assess the relationship between passive green space exposure, sense of control, and aggression. Study 2 (N = 260) employed a single-factor between-subjects experimental design to further explore these relationships in a controlled environment. The results from both studies indicated that passive green space exposure is negatively related to aggression, and that this relationship is partially mediated by an increased sense of control. Specifically, passive green space exposure was found to negatively predict aggression by bolstering individuals' sense of control. These findings underscore the potential of enhancing the sense of control through environmental factors like green spaces as an effective strategy to reduce aggression. This study enriches our understanding of the broader impacts of green spaces, extending beyond mental health to include social behaviors. We discussed both the theoretical and practical implications of our findings, highlighting how urban planning and environmental design can incorporate green spaces to foster community well-being and mitigate aggressive behaviors.

Greenspaces And Cardiovascular Health

Accumulating evidence suggests that living in areas of high surrounding greenness or even brief exposures to areas of high greenery is conducive to cardiovascular health, which may be related to the environmental, social, psychological, and physiological benefits of greenspaces. Recent data from multiple cross-sectional, longitudinal, and cohort studies suggest that living in areas of high surrounding greenness is associated with a lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. High levels of neighborhood greenery have been linked also to a decrease in the burden of cardiovascular disease risk factors as reflected by lower rates of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. Those who live in greener environments report better mental health and more frequent social interactions, which can benefit cardiovascular health as well. In this narrative review, we discuss evidence linking greenspaces to cardiovascular health as well as the potential mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of greenspaces, including the impact of vegetation on air, noise and light pollution, ambient temperature, physical activity, mental health, and biodiversity. We review literature on the beneficial effects of acute and chronic exposure to nature on cardiovascular disease risk factors, inflammation and immune function, and we highlight the potential cardiovascular effects of biogenic volatile organic compounds that are emitted by trees and shrubs. We identify current knowledge gaps in this area and underscore the need for additional population studies to understand more clearly and precisely the link between greenness and health. Such understanding is urgently needed to fully redeem the promise of greenspaces in preventing adverse environmental exposures, mitigating the effects of climate change, and creating healthier living environments.

Ecosystem services potential is declining across European capital metropolitan areas

Ecosystem services (ES) are essential to sustainable development at multiple spatial scales. Monitoring ES potential (ESP) at the metropolitan level is imperative to sustainable cities. We developed a procedure for long-term monitoring of metropolitan ESP dynamics, utilizing open-source land use land cover (LULC) data and the expert matrix method. We compared the ESP results of 38 European Capital Metropolitan Areas (ECMA) regarding biodiversity integrity, drinking water provision, flood protection, air quality, water purification, and recreation & tourism. Our results show significant declines in ESP across ECMA due to LULC alteration between 2006, 2012, and 2018. We found that ECMA in post-socialist European countries like Poland (Warszawa) have experienced high rates of land use transformation with a remarkable impact on ESP. Surprisingly, we found that Fennoscandinan ECMA, like Helsinki, Stockholm, and Oslo which lead the cumulative ESP ranking, faced the ESP reduction of the highest impact in recent years. The correlation analysis of ESP dynamics to urban expansion and population growth rates suggests that inattentive urbanization processes impact ESP more than population growth. We unveil the implications of our results to the EU and global level agendas like the European Nature Conservation Law and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment reveals an incremental association between natural diversity and mental wellbeing

Using smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment, this study investigated an association between natural diversity on mental wellbeing. A sample of 1,998 participants completed 41,448 assessments between April 2018 and September 2023. Environments which included a larger range of natural features, such as trees, plants and birdlife (high natural diversity) were associated with greater mental wellbeing than environments including a smaller range of natural features (low natural diversity). There was evidence of a mediating effect of natural diversity on the association between natural environments and mental wellbeing. These results highlight the importance of policies and practices that support richness of biodiversity for public mental health.

Existential Well-Being in Nature: A Cross-Cultural and Descriptive Phenomenological Approach

Exploring the putative role of nature in human well-being has typically been operationalized and measured within a quantitative paradigm of research. However, such approaches are limited in the extent to which they can capture the full range of how natural experiences support well-being. The aim of the study was to explore personal experiences in nature and consider how they might be important to human health and well-being. Based on a descriptive phenomenological analysis of fifty descriptions of memorable moments in nature from England, Indonesia, and Norway, our findings illustrate a common structure presented under three themes: 1. serenity that gives rise to a growing awareness of how the body is stimulated by the senses; 2. admiration and appreciation for the sensation of beauty; 3. an emerging sense of togetherness and deep emotional bonding. The findings are discussed using the concepts of ecological time and the ecological body, which foreground being in nature as constituted as an interdependent and dynamic human process. We conclude by understanding well-being in terms of human responsiveness to their surroundings and thus as rooted in the human condition.

Physical Activity and Local Blue/Green Space Access During the COVID-19 Pandemic

PURPOSE

To examine whether local blue and green space access was associated with weekly physical activity frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SETTING

Population-based, nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (May and June 2021).

SAMPLE

Adults, ages 18-94 (N = 1,771).

MEASURES

Self-reported data included the presence of blue spaces (e.g., lakes, outdoor swimming pools, riverside trails) and green spaces (e.g., parks, forests, or natural trails) in their neighborhoods, and days of physical activity per week (e.g., running, swimming, bicycling, lifting weights, playing sports, or doing yoga).

ANALYSIS

Multiple Poisson regression assessed relationships between blue and green spaces and physical activity, with coefficients transformed into incidence risk ratios (IRR).

RESULTS

Among participants, 67.2% reported living near a blue space and 86.1% reported living near a green space. Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in access to blue and green spaces were observed, with less access among non-Hispanic Black participants and those with lower income and educational attainment. Living near blue (IRR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.10, 1.39) or green space (IRR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.54) was significantly associated with more frequent weekly physical activity.

CONCLUSION

Proximity to blue or green spaces is associated with more frequent physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health promotion efforts should include equitable strategies to improve accessibility to blue and green spaces.

Enriched Environments in Stroke Units: Defining Characteristics and Limitations

BACKGROUND

Individuals with stroke rehabilitated in an enriched environment (EE) compared to a non-EE are more likely to participate in cognitive and social activities, promoting their rehabilitation and well-being. There is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of methods to implement EEs within complex health systems, particularly in stroke units.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review was to compile the concept of an EE in stroke units.

METHODS

The literature was sourced from CINAHL, Embase, and Medline databases. A detailed screening and sifting process was used to identify relevant literature. Multiple reviewers independently appraised the identified literature using a Mixed-methods Appraisal Tool. After screening 336 studies, 11 were included.

RESULTS

This review reveals an EE is challenging to define and almost exclusively about activities based on access to individual and communal equipment. Generally, there are no common descriptions or conceptual agreements.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically review the concept of an EE in stroke units and shows that more studies on EEs are needed. The weak definitions and unclear theoretical backgrounds of an EE in the included studies could challenge operationalization. Future research should be based on more precise definitions of an EE and broader interventions that include changes to built and natural environments.

Cities, planetary boundaries, and degrowth

Cities are the main hubs of human activity and the engines of economic growth. In pursuit of such growth, cities are transgressing their local environmental boundaries. Ongoing urbanisation increasingly contributes to the human pressure on planetary boundaries and negatively affects planetary health. In a telecoupled world, cities externalise impacts by shifting production and many other functions away from their boundaries. At the same time, urban inhabitants and people who follow urban lifestyles but live outside cities are increasingly disconnected from nature. This Viewpoint highlights the role of degrowth in keeping an urban planet within planetary boundaries and suggests areas for further research and policy. Degrowth calls for meaningfully connecting planetary boundaries with cities and ensuring everyone receives a fair share of their ecological capacity. Degrowth calls for lower use of existing resources, highlights political power asymmetries, and moves beyond pricing interventions. Degrowth addresses three key aspects that connect cities and urban lifestyles to planetary boundaries: reducing production and consumption, connecting people and nature, and including nature (to a more substantial extent) in the design of cities and in what is used and consumed in cities. A radical degrowth transformation of cities is necessary to stay within a safe operating space for humanity.

Cities and mental health: The role of the built environment, and environmental and lifestyle factors in Barcelona

Built environment characteristics and related environmental exposures and behaviors have been, separately, implicated in the development of poor mental health. However, it is unclear how these factors act together in relation to mental health. We studied these factors simultaneously to evaluate the impact of the built environment, and the mediating role of environmental exposures and physical activity, on mental health, while also studying moderation by sex, age, and length of residence. We used a cross-sectional population-based sample of 3145 individuals aged 15-97 years from Barcelona, Spain. Time spent walking and mental health status were assessed with validated questionnaires, administered through a face-to-face interview. We characterized the built environment (e.g., building, population and intersection density and green space), road traffic noise, and ambient air pollution at the residential level using land cover maps, remote sensing, noise maps and land use regression models. Adjusted regression models accounting for spatial clustering were analyzed to study associations between built environment attributes and mental health, and mediation and moderation effects. Density attributes were directly or indirectly, through air pollution and less consistently through walking, associated with poor mental health. Green space indicators were associated with lower prevalence of poor mental health, partly through lower air pollution exposure and more walking. In some cases, these associations differed by sex, age or length of residence. Non-linear associations of density indicators with environmental exposures, and of particulate matter with poor mental health indicated threshold effects. We conclude that living in dense areas with high air pollution concentrations was associated with poor mental health. On the other hand, green areas with lower air pollution concentrations were protective against poor mental health. Greater urban density might benefit health, but might only do so when air pollution concentrations are low.

A Review on Recent Deep Learning-Based Semantic Segmentation for Urban Greenness Measurement

Accurate urban green space (UGS) measurement has become crucial for landscape analysis. This paper reviews the recent technological breakthroughs in deep learning (DL)-based semantic segmentation, emphasizing efficient landscape analysis, and integrating greenness measurements. It explores quantitative greenness measures applied through semantic segmentation, categorized into the plan view- and the perspective view-based methods, like the Land Class Classification (LCC) with green objects and the Green View Index (GVI) based on street photographs. This review navigates from traditional to modern DL-based semantic segmentation models, illuminating the evolution of the urban greenness measures and segmentation tasks for advanced landscape analysis. It also presents the typical performance metrics and explores public datasets for constructing these measures. The results show that accurate (semantic) segmentation is inevitable not only for fine-grained greenness measures but also for the qualitative evaluation of landscape analyses for planning amidst the incomplete explainability of the DL model. Also, the unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) in aerial images is addressed to overcome the scale changes and lack of labeled data for fine-grained greenness measures. This review contributes to helping researchers understand the recent breakthroughs in DL-based segmentation technology for challenging topics in UGS research.

The great urban shift: Climate change is predicted to drive mass species turnover in cities

Human experiences with nature are important for our culture, economy, and health. Anthropogenically-driven climate change is causing widespread shifts in biodiversity and resident urban wildlife are no exception. We modelled over 2,000 animal species to predict how climate change will impact terrestrial wildlife within 60 Canadian and American cities. We found evidence of an impending great urban shift where thousands of species will disappear across the selected cities, being replaced by new species, or not replaced at all. Effects were largely species-specific, with the most negatively impacted taxa being amphibians, canines, and loons. These predicted shifts were consistent across scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions, but our results show that the severity of change will be defined by our action or inaction to mitigate climate change. An impending massive shift in urban wildlife will impact the cultural experiences of human residents, the delivery of ecosystem services, and our relationship with nature.

Does nature-based social prescription improve mental health outcomes? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

A nature-based social prescription (NBSP) is an approach to improving mental health outcomes that involves prescribing nature-based interventions as complementary or alternative therapy to traditional ones. A variety of advantages are available from NBSP for people looking to enhance their mental well-being. The effect size of the nature-based social prescriptions (NBSPs) has not been thoroughly evaluated by systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Objectives

The current study aimed to analyze existing studies and conduct a meta-analysis to determine the overall effect size of the nature-based social prescriptions (NBSP's) outcomes on mental health.

Methods

By choosing the relevant papers from among those that were available, a meta-analysis was carried out in the current study. A systematic search of electronic databases (Pub Med, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, and PsychINFO) was conducted to identify relevant studies. Studies were included if they evaluated the effects of NBSP on mental health outcomes. Effect sizes were calculated using the random effects model.

Results

Meta-analysis of interventions statistics shows that CBT (SMD -0.0035; 95% CI: [-0.5090; 0.5020]; Tau^2: 0.1011; Tau: 0.318), digital intervention (SMD -0.3654; 95% CI: [-0.5258; 1.2566]; Tau^2: 0.2976, Tau: 0.5455), music intervention (SMD -2.1281; 95% CI: [-0.4659; 4.7221]; Tau^2: 3.4046; Tau:1.8452), and psychological interventions (SMD -0.8529; 95% CI: [0.3051; 1.4007]; Tau^2: 0.1224; Tau: 0.3499) do not significantly impact. The other interventions [social belongingness, communication training, blue intervention, nature-based education, cognitive behavior group therapy (CBGT), social prescribing coordinator, self-help intervention, participatory, organizational intervention, inpatient services, brief diet, internet-based intervention, prenatal intervention, yoga and meditation, ergonomics training program, yoga nidra intervention, and storytelling] highlighted above are significant.

Conclusion

The conclusion of the meta-analysis supports the idea that incorporating nature-based social prescription interventions into mental healthcare plans can effectively complement traditional therapies and improve mental health outcomes.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023412458, CRD42023412458.

A lower connection to nature is related to lower mental health benefits from nature contact

Increasing evidence demonstrates the psychological benefits of nature contact. However, the evidence is often established at the population level, and the individual differences in the psychological benefits gained from nature are considered negligible variations. In this study, we performed a cross-sectional online survey in Brisbane and Sydney, Australia, from April 15th and May 15th, 2021 around one year after the first covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. The results show that individuals with a stronger connection to nature are linked with a lower level of stress and anxiety with increased frequency in public greenspace visits, while such an association is less clear for individuals with a weaker connection to nature. We also find that, through the answer to an open-ended question, individuals with a lower connection to nature tend to mention nature-related words less as the reason for visiting greenspace. This indicates that a person's connection to nature is linked with how they interact with nature and thus might determine whether and how much psychological benefit a person gains from experiencing nature.

Exploring the effect of different typical plant community on human stress reduction: a field experiment

Research has demonstrated the positive effect of natural environment on human restoration and well-being. Time spent in nature can often alleviate both physiological and psychological stress. However, few studies have discussed the environmental health effects of the nature's components and characteristics. Sixty volunteers were recruited and one manufactured environment and five different natural environments were randomly assigned to them, including coniferous forests (pure coniferous forest-PC and mixed coniferous forest-MC), broad-leaved forests (pure broad-leaved forest-PB and mixed broad-leaved forest-MB), and mixed forest (mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest-MCB). Each volunteer sat in a built or natural environment and looked around the environment for 15 min. Physiological (HR, HRV, BP, pulse rate and salivary cortisol) and psychological indicators (POMS and STAI) were used to evaluate the changes in their stress level. Results indicated a strong difference in HR, HRV, POMS and STAI between the built and natural environment, which showed that natural environment can lower the stress level. MC had the best effect on relieving physiological stress, whereas MCB is most successful in improving emotional state and reducing anxiety. Broad-leaved forest and mixed forest significantly affected the DBP and vigor level of the subjects, respectively. While coniferous forest did significantly increase the concentration of salivary cortisol in subjects. The study confirmed that compared to the built environment, the natural environment can relieve the human body's physical and psychological stress and negative emotions, while significantly increasing vitality. And different plant communities also have different effects on the physiological and psychological indicators of the subjects. These results will provide scientific basis for the construction and improvement of urban green space environment.

Current methodologies of greenspace exposure and mental health research-a scoping review

Introduction

Greenspaces can provide an important resource for human mental health. A growing body of literature investigates the interaction and the influence of diverse greenspace exposures. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the complex connection between greenspace and mental health, a variety of perspectives and methodological combinations are needed. The aim of this review is to assess the current methodologies researching greenspace and mental health.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted. Four electronic databases (Pubmed, Embase, PsycInfo, Web of Science) were searched for relevant studies. A wide range of greenspace and mental health keywords were included to provide a comprehensive representation of the body of research. Relevant information on publication characteristics, types of greenspaces, mental health outcomes, and measurements of greenspace exposure and mental health was extracted and assessed.

Results

338 studies were included. The included studies encompassed a multitude of methods, as well as outcomes for both greenspace and mental health. 28 combinations were found between seven categories each for greenspace and mental health assessment. Some pairings such as geoinformation systems for greenspace assessment and questionnaires investigating mental health were used much more frequently than others, implying possible research gaps. Furthermore, we identified problems and inconsistences in reporting of greenspace types and mental health outcomes.

Discussion

The identified methodological variety is a potential for researching the complex connections between greenspace and mental health. Commonly used combinations can provide important insights. However, future research needs to emphasize other perspectives in order to understand how to create living environments with mental health benefits. For this purpose, interdisciplinary research is necessary.

The economics of nature's healing touch: A systematic review and conceptual framework of green space, pharmaceutical prescriptions, and healthcare expenditure associations

Green spaces play a crucial role in promoting sustainable and healthy lives. Recent evidence shows that green space also may reduce the need for healthcare, prescription medications, and associated costs. This systematic review provides the first comprehensive assessment of the available literature examining green space exposure and its associations with healthcare prescriptions and expenditures. We applied Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to search MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science for observational studies published in English through May 6, 2023. A quality assessment of the included studies was conducted using the Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) tool, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) assessment was used to evaluate the overall quality of evidence. Our search retrieved 26 studies that met the inclusion criteria and were included in our review. Among these, 20 studies (77 % of the total) showed beneficial associations of green space exposure with healthcare prescriptions or expenditures. However, most studies had risks of bias, and the overall strength of evidence for both outcomes was limited. Based on our findings and related bodies of literature, we present a conceptual framework to explain the possible associations and complex mechanisms underlying green space and healthcare outcomes. The framework differs from existing green space and health models by including upstream factors related to healthcare access (i.e., rurality and socioeconomic status), which may flip the direction of associations. Additional research with lower risks of bias is necessary to validate this framework and better understand the potential for green space to reduce healthcare prescriptions and expenditures.

How does multiscale greenspace exposure affect human health? Evidence from urban parks in the central city of Beijing

While the health benefits of exposure to urban greenspace have been widely discussed at different spatial scales, the comprehensive health effects of multiscale greenspace exposure are far from understood. There is a lack of quantified evidence when conducting cost-effective greenspace management practices for promoting human health and well-being. This study proposed a conceptual model that links objective and subjective greenspace exposure metrics at different spatial scales with self-rated health of residents. The model attempted to deconstruct and explore the associations between multiscale greenspace exposure and human health, and a cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the model. Taking urban parks in the central city of Beijing as case study area, the objective greenspace exposure metrics at both the site and subdistrict scales were spatial explicitly assessed, and the subjective exposure metrics and self-rated health status of 1017 respondents were obtained through questionnaire survey and spatial positioning. The results of multiple regression analyses and path analyses suggested that greenspace exposure metrics at both site and subdistrict scales were significantly associated with the respondents' self-rated health status, with the exposure metrics at the site scale being more important than those at the subdistrict scale in affecting human health. The contribution of urban parks to self-rated physical and mental health of respondents varied across spatial scales. Specifically, the aesthetic value of urban parks at site scale contributed the most to mental health by promoting respondents' resting behaviors in urban parks, and the density of urban parks at subdistrict scale had the most significant effects on self-rated physical health by increasing the usage frequency of urban parks. Findings of this study can contribute to understanding the complex associations between urban greenspace and human health from a multiscale perspective, and are also expected to provide quantified information for health-oriented urban greenspace planning and management practices.

The relationship between nature exposure and depression among Chinese prisoners: a moderated mediation model

Aim

This study examined the association between self-reported nature exposure and depression among Chinese prisoners, as well as the mediating and moderating effects of meaning in life and callous-unemotional (CU) traits, respectively.

Background

Prisoners are more likely to experience depression than any other mental illness. Exposure to nature has been proposed as a highly cost-effective method of treating their depressive symptoms. However, the mechanism underlying the link between nature exposure and depression among prisoners needs further investigation, as the findings may provide new insights into how to address depression in incarcerated populations.

Method

Data were collected through a survey conducted in four prisons in southern China from April to May 2022. The participants were 574 prisoners who anonymously completed four questionnaires about nature exposure, meaning in life, depression, and CU traits.

Results

The results show that: (1) meaning in life significantly mediates the association between nature exposure and depression, and (2) CU traits moderate the connection between nature exposure and meaning in life.

Conclusion

The current study uncovered that prisoners who contact more with the natural environment have a higher meaning in life and lower depression, and individuals with higher CU traits can benefit more from nature exposure.

Associations of nature contact with emotional ill-being and well-being: the role of emotion regulation

Nature contact has associations with emotional ill-being and well-being. However, the mechanisms underlying these associations are not fully understood. We hypothesised that increased adaptive and decreased maladaptive emotion regulation strategies would be a pathway linking nature contact to ill-being and well-being. Using data from a survey of 600 U.S.-based adults administered online in 2022, we conducted structural equation modelling to test our hypotheses. We found that (1) frequency of nature contact was significantly associated with lesser emotional ill-being and greater emotional well-being, (2) effective emotion regulation was significantly associated with lesser emotional ill-being and greater emotional well-being, and (3) the associations of higher frequency of nature contact with these benefits were partly explained via emotion regulation. Moreover, we found a nonlinear relationship for the associations of duration of nature contact with some outcomes, with a rise in benefits up to certain amounts of time, and a levelling off after these points. These findings support and extend previous work that demonstrates that the associations of nature contact with emotional ill-being and well-being may be partly explained by changes in emotion regulation.

Residential greenspace and major depression among older adults living in urban and suburban areas with different climates across the United States

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Residential greenspace could alleviate depression - a leading cause of disability. Fewer studies of depression and greenspace have considered major depression, and, to our knowledge, none have considered how climate, which determines vegetation abundance and type, may change the impacts of greenspace. Our aim was to investigate whether residential greenspace is associated with major depression among older adults and explore effect modification by climate.

METHODS

We used biennial interviews between 2008 and 2016 from the Health and Retirement Study. We calculated greenness within walking distance of home addresses as the maximum NDVI for the year of each participant interview averaged within a 1 km buffer. Reflecting clinical criteria, a score of ≥5 on the CIDI-SF indicated major depression in the preceding 12-months. We characterized climate using Köppen-Geiger classifications. To estimate prevalence ratios, we used Poisson regression. Our models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, geography, annual sunshine, and bluespace.

RESULTS

The 21,611 eligible participants were 65 ± 10 years old on average, 55% female, 81% White, 12% Black, 10% Hispanic/Latino, and 31% had at least a 4-year college degree. The 12-month prevalence of a major depression was 8%. In adjusted models, more residential greenspace was associated with a lower prevalence of major depression (prevalence ratio per IQR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.84 to 0.98). There was evidence of effect modification by climate (P forinteraction, 0.062). We observed stronger associations in tropical (prevalence ratio per IQR 0.69; 95% CI, 0.47 to 1.01) and cold (prevalence ratio per IQR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.93) climates compared to arid (prevalence ratio per IQR 0.99; 95% CI, 0.90 to 1.09) and temperate (prevalence ratio per IQR 0.98; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.11) climates.

CONCLUSIONS

Residential greenspace may help reduce major depression. However, climate may influence how people benefit from greenspace.

Street trees provide an opportunity to mitigate urban heat and reduce risk of high heat exposure

Climate change is exacerbating the need for urban greening and the associated environmental and human well-being benefits. Trees can help mitigate urban heat, but more detailed understanding of cooling effects of green infrastructure are needed to guide management decisions and deploy trees as effective and equitable climate adaptation infrastructure. We investigated how urban trees affect summer air temperature along sidewalks within a neighborhood of Tacoma, Washington, USA, and to what extent urban trees reduce risks of high summer temperatures (i.e., the levels regulated by state outdoor heat exposure rules intended to reduce heat-related illnesses). Air temperature varied by 2.57 °C, on average, across our study area, and the probability of daytime temperatures exceeding regulated high temperature thresholds was up to five times greater in locations with no canopy cover within 10 m compared to those with 100% cover. Air temperatures decreased linearly with increasing cover within 10 m, suggesting that every unit of added tree cover can help cool the air. Our findings highlight the value of trees in mitigating urban heat, especially given expected warming with climate change. Protecting existing urban trees and increasing tree cover (e.g., by planting street trees), are important actions to enhance climate change resilience of urban areas.

Aula Verde (tree room) as a link between art and science to raise public awareness of nature-based solutions

Nature-based solutions inherently require a multifaceted perspective that encompasses diverse fields. The aim of this project is to develop more effective nature-based solutions, climate action and environmental awareness by breaking down boundaries between disciplines and fostering a co-creative process. Concepts of ecology and urban forestry were combined with the research on political ecology, environmental humanities, land art, regenerative art, performing art, participatory art, and more-than-human art. This process resulted in the creation of Aula Verde Aniene. It is located in an urban park in Rome and consists of a stand of trees arranged in circles with a specific design to give the perception of being in an outdoor vegetated room. The project activities involved community participation through art performances and citizen science initiatives. Regulating and cultural ecosystem services of Aula Verde were assessed using i-Tree Eco software and citizens' surveys. Beyond numerical descriptions of ecosystem services, the manuscript introduces shinrin-yoku as a practice to raise awareness of nature. The distinctive approach here described contributed to convey a sense of belonging to the ecosystem to citizens. The project framework and study findings have been developed to formulate policy recommendations and disseminate a format that can be adapted to diverse locations.

Mental health and natural land cover: a global analysis based on random forest with geographical consideration

Natural features in living environments can help to reduce stress and improve mental health. Different land types have disproportionate impacts on mental health. However, the relationships between mental health and land cover are inconclusive. In this study, we aim to accurately fit the relationships, estimate the impacts of land cover change on mental health, and demonstrate the global spatial variability of impacts. In the analysis, we show the complex relationships between mental health and eight land types based on the random forest method and Shapley additive explanations. The accuracy of our model is 67.59%, while the accuracy of the models used in previous studies is usually no more than 20%. According to the analysis results, we estimate the average effects of eight land types. Due to their scarcity in living environments, shrubland, wetland, and bare land have larger impacts on mental health. Cropland, forest, and water could improve mental health in high-population-density areas. The impacts of urban land and grassland are mainly negative. The current land cover composition influences people's attitudes toward a specific land type. Our research is the first study that analyzes data with geographical information by random forest and explains the results geographically. This paper provides a novel machine learning explanation method and insights to formulate better land-use policies to improve mental health.

Celebrating wildlife population recovery through education

Large mammal populations are rapidly recovering across Europe, yet people have not readapted to living with wild animals, resulting in human-wildlife conflict. We believe that society should unite to make the most of the instances of nature recovery, and propose science and education as the key to success.

Building towards an adolescent neural urbanome: Expanding environmental measures using linked external data (LED) in the ABCD study

Many recent studies have demonstrated that environmental contexts, both social and physical, have an important impact on child and adolescent neural and behavioral development. The adoption of geospatial methods, such as in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, has facilitated the exploration of many environmental contexts surrounding participants' residential locations without creating additional burdens for research participants (i.e., youth and families) in neuroscience studies. However, as the number of linked databases increases, developing a framework that considers the various domains related to child and adolescent environments external to their home becomes crucial. Such a framework needs to identify structural contextual factors that may yield inequalities in children's built and natural environments; these differences may, in turn, result in downstream negative effects on children from historically minoritized groups. In this paper, we develop such a framework - which we describe as the "adolescent neural urbanome" - and use it to categorize newly geocoded information incorporated into the ABCD Study by the Linked External Data (LED) Environment & Policy Working Group. We also highlight important relationships between the linked measures and describe possible applications of the Adolescent Neural Urbanome. Finally, we provide a number of recommendations and considerations regarding the responsible use and communication of these data, highlighting the potential harm to historically minoritized groups through their misuse.

Nature-Based Interventions Targeting Elderly People's Health and Well-Being: An Evidence Map

BACKGROUND

Healthy aging encompasses more than the absence of disease, emphasizing the preservation of functional abilities for enhanced well-being and quality of life. Nature-based interventions are scientifically proven contributors to healthy aging.

OBJECTIVE

To develop an evidence map showcasing nature-based interventions targeting older individuals' health and well-being.

METHODS

The evidence map was developed through critical analysis of systematic reviews and clinical trials utilizing the tools AMSTAR2 and CONSORT. A systematic search spanning the past decade was conducted across databases: Cochrane, SCOPUS, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and LILACS.

RESULTS

Twelve articles met the eligibility criteria. Nature-based interventions such as forest bathing, hiking, therapeutic gardens, virtual reality, and forest sounds were identified. Outcomes were categorized into physical aspects (cardiovascular and pulmonary; neuro-immuno-endocrinological) and mental/behavioral aspects. The final map integrated interventions, outcomes, and quality assessments.

CONCLUSIONS

The survey highlights the positive impact of nature-based interventions on the health of the elderly. This study provides insights across various domains, fostering the development of programs and policies in management to promote healthy aging. Regarding healthcare, it encourages discourse among professionals regarding the integration of nature-based practices for equitable care in both individual and group settings. Furthermore, it underscores the need for research in the Southern Hemisphere, particularly in Brazil, where the study was conducted.

Urban green space visitation and mental health wellbeing during COVID-19 in Bangkok, Thailand

Urban green spaces offer numerous benefits, and their role in supporting mental health, particularly during global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, is of growing interest to researchers and policymakers. This study explored the relationship between urban green space visitation and mental health well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangkok, Thailand. This cross-sectional study, conducted in Bangkok during the COVID-19 lockdown, used a telephone survey of 579 respondents. A logistic regression model was employed to examine the association between urban green space visitation and the WHO-5 mental health well-being score, considering various factors such as socioeconomic variables, healthy behaviors, and COVID-19-related experiences. The findings revealed a significant association between urban green space visitation during the lockdown and higher mental health well-being. Socioeconomic variables and healthy behaviors of respondents were also notably linked to higher WHO-5 mental health well-being scores. These findings collectively indicate that urban greenspace visitation serves as a crucial determinant of mental health and well-being, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Estimating changes in inequality of ecosystem services provided by green exposure: From a human health perspective

Ecosystem services provided by green spaces are closely related to human health, strongly supporting sustainable urban and territorial development. Urbanization has not only resulted in the reduction of green spaces but has also created inequalities in exposure. Inequitable green exposure creates disparities in residents' access to the ecosystem services provided by green spaces and can lead to significant health inequities. In this context, we first categorized green exposures into active and passive types based on their characteristics. Second, utilizing the benefit transfer method and Gini coefficient, we estimated the value and equity of ecosystem services offered by these green exposures around residences at the municipality level in Japan from 2000 to 2020, with a focus on human health implications. Finally, we explored the potential relationship between socioeconomics and ecosystem service inequity. Our findings reveal that: 1) ecosystem service value per capita and equity provided by green exposure are significantly different across municipalities; 2) although most municipalities show an upward trend in per capita ecosystem service value around residences, ecosystem service inequity increases significantly; and 3) ecosystem service inequity is related to the socioeconomic factors of municipalities and could be non-linear. The results of this study suggest that the government should adopt indicators related to the ecosystem services provided by green exposure during urban planning. While focusing on per-capita ecosystem services, they should also consider the equitable distribution of ecosystem services to promote sustainable urban health development.

Nature-based mindfulness programs using virtual reality to reduce pediatric perioperative anxiety: a narrative review

Over 75% of pediatric surgery patients experience preoperative anxiety, which can lead to complicated recoveries. Current interventions are less effective for children over 12 years old. New interventions, like mindfulness-based ones (MBIs), are needed to address this issue. MBIs work well for reducing mental health symptoms in youth, but they can be challenging for beginners. Virtual reality (VR) nature settings can help bridge this gap, providing an engaging 3-D practice environment that minimizes distractions and enhances presence. However, no study has investigated the combined effects of mindfulness training in natural VR settings for pediatric surgery patients, creating a significant gap for a novel intervention. This paper aims to fill that gap by presenting a narrative review exploring the potential of a nature-based mindfulness program using VR to reduce pediatric preoperative anxiety. It begins by addressing the risks of anxiety in children undergoing surgery, emphasizing its impact on physical recovery, and supporting the use of VR for anxiety reduction in hospitals. The review then delves into VR's role in nature and mindfulness, discussing theoretical concepts, clinical applications, and effectiveness. It also examines how the combination of mindfulness, nature, and VR can create an effective intervention, supported by relevant literature. Finally, it synthesizes the existing literature's limitations, findings, gaps, and contradictions, concluding with research and clinical implications.