The Application of Wearable Technology to Quantify Health and Wellbeing Co-benefits From Urban Wetlands

Decoding influences of indoor temperature and light on neural activity: entropy analysis of electroencephalographic signals

Understanding the neural responses to indoor characteristics like temperature and light is crucial for comprehending how the physical environment influences the human brain. Our study introduces an innovative approach using entropy analysis, specifically, approximate entropy (ApEn), applied to electroencephalographic (EEG) signals to investigate neural responses to temperature and light variations in indoor environments. By strategically placing electrodes over specific brain regions linked to temperature and light processing, we show how ApEn can be influenced by indoor factors. We also integrate heart indices from a multi-sensor bracelet to create a machine learning classifier for temperature conditions. Results showed that in anterior frontal and temporoparietal areas, neutral temperature conditions yield higher ApEn values. The anterior frontal area showed a trend of gradually decreasing ApEn values from neutral to warm conditions, with cold being in an intermediate position. There was a significant interaction between light and site factors, only evident in the temporoparietal region. Here, the neutral light condition had higher ApEn values compared to blue and red light conditions. Positive correlations between anterior frontal ApEn and thermal comfort scores suggest a link between entropy and perceived thermal comfort. Our quadratic SVM classifier, incorporating entropy and heart features, demonstrates strong performance (until 90% in terms of AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity) in classifying temperature sensations. This study offers insights into neural responses to indoor factors and presents a novel approach for temperature classification using EEG entropy and heart features.

Examining the audiovisual therapy effects on hospital groups of varying linear canopy landscapes and those with hydrodynamic forces

Recent research has highlighted the beneficial effects of urban green spaces on physical and mental health. This study focused on the hospital population and innovatively subdivided the population into four groups: doctors, caregivers, patients and nurses. A total of 96 volunteers participated in this virtual reality experiment to assess the restoration of a linear canopy landscape and a landscape with different levels of hydrodynamics through interactive audiovisual immersion. We utilized pre-research method, brainwave monitoring technique, psychological scales, observation and interviews in this experiment. The research identified five key findings. First, both linear canopy landscapes and those with low to medium hydrodynamic forces significantly enhance physiological and psychological restoration for all groups, with the most substantial physiological benefits observed in doctors and patients, and the greatest psychological relief noted in caregivers. Second, landscapes with medium hydrodynamic forces yield higher restorative effects than those with low forces in hospital settings. Third, green landscapes with medium and low-density canopies prove more conducive to patient recovery compared to those with high-density canopies. Fourth, the inclusion of bird songs does not markedly affect physiological restoration across the hospital groups. Finally, landscapes that incorporate elements of water dynamics, open skies, and lightly foliated canopies draw significant interest from all groups involved. This study advocates for the integration of natural blue and green elements into hospital environments as complementary therapeutic interventions, aiming to alleviate stress and promote health recovery among hospital communities.

The coupling coordination between tourism urbanization and ecosystem services value and its obstacle factors in ecologically fragile areas: a case study of the Wuling Mountain area of Hunan Province, China

The interrelationship between tourism urbanization (TU) and the ecological environment is extremely complex. Some studies have analyzed the interaction between them but ignored the ecosystem services. Therefore, exploring the coupling coordination relationship between TU and ecosystem services value (ESV) is significant. In this research, we established a coupling coordination degree (CCD) model between TU and ESV and used exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), spatial variogram model, and obstacle degree model to evaluate the evolution characteristics of CCD and its obstacle factors in the Wuling Mountain area of Hunan Province (WMAHP). The results are as follows: (1) the comprehensive TU level shows an upward trend, and TU levels in the west are generally higher than in the east. The total ESV shows a fluctuating upward trend, and the average ESV is relatively low in the west and southeast. (2) The comprehensive CCD shows an increasing trend, and the coupling coordination relationship has changed from uncoordinated to coordinated in most counties. Spatially, the global spatial autocorrelation and spatial variation degree of CCD are insignificant. Wulingyuan and Yongding are uplift areas, and a subsidence area is in the southeast. It is worth noting that the problem of TU lag generally exists. (3) For the whole area, TU and economy are always the primary obstacle factors in the system and category layer, respectively, but the obstacle degree of the population has gradually increased. At the county level, TU restricts the CCD improvement in most counties, and the proportion of counties where the economy is the primary obstacle in the criterion layer exceeds 60%. Policymakers need to formulate targeted promotion strategies based on the coupling coordination and relative development level between TU and ESV for different counties. This paper provides valuable references for achieving coordinated development between TU and ESV in ecologically fragile areas worldwide.

The role of connection with nature in empirical studies with physiological measurements: a systematic literature review

It is well described that exposure to nature reduces physiological stress, and connectedness to nature can have a moderating effect. However, few studies have so far examined the construction of the connection with nature in relation to physiological processes. In this systematic review, we collected studies that used a physiological measure and included a scale to measure connectedness to nature. Our aim was to assess the role of nature relatedness at the level of physiological processes and to summarize the results published so far. Our review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. A literature search was conducted in 3 different databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar). As keywords, we used all the different questionnaires that measure connectedness to nature, combined with terms related to physiological measures. After final screening, 28 articles met the inclusion criteria for the review. The studies were very diverse in terms of purpose, intervention and methods, so narrative synthesis was conducted without measures of effect. We found evidence for a mediating effect of nature connectedness on the associations between nature exposure and cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, cortisol level and mental health. Studies investigating nature relatedness as state-like characteristics have shown that exposure to nature increases the level of connection to nature. Eye-tracking studies have confirmed that this measurement method can be used to investigate nature relatedness at a physiological level, which could be a useful complement to self-report questionnaires in future studies.

Applying an ecosystem services framework on nature and mental health to recreational blue space visits across 18 countries

The effects of 'nature' on mental health and subjective well-being have yet to be consistently integrated into ecosystem service models and frameworks. To address this gap, we used data on subjective mental well-being from an 18-country survey to test a conceptual model integrating mental health with ecosystem services, initially proposed by Bratman et al. We analysed a range of individual and contextual factors in the context of 14,998 recreational visits to blue spaces, outdoor environments which prominently feature water. Consistent with the conceptual model, subjective mental well-being outcomes were dependent upon on a complex interplay of environmental type and quality, visit characteristics, and individual factors. These results have implications for public health and environmental management, as they may help identify the bluespace locations, environmental features, and key activities, that are most likely to impact well-being, but also potentially affect recreational demand on fragile aquatic ecosystems.

Cities and neuroscience research: A systematic literature review

Background

Cities are becoming the socio-economic hubs for most of the world's population. Understanding how our surroundings can mentally affect everyday life has become crucial to integrate environmental sustainability into urban development. The present review aims to explore the empirical studies investigating neural mechanisms underlying cognitive and emotional processes elicited by the exposure to different urban built and natural spaces. It also tries to identify new research questions and to leverage neurourbanism as a framework to achieve healthier and sustainable cities.

Methods

By following the PRISMA framework, we conducted a structured search on PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Only articles related to how urban environment-built or natural-affects brain activity through objective measurement (with either imaging or electrophysiological techniques) were considered. Further inclusion criteria were studies on human adult populations, peer-reviewed, and in English language.

Results

Sixty-two articles met the inclusion criteria. They were qualitatively assessed and analyzed to determine the main findings and emerging concepts. Overall, the results suggest that urban built exposure (when compared to natural spaces) elicit activations in brain regions or networks strongly related to perceptual, attentional, and (spatial) cognitive demands. The city's-built environment also triggers neural circuits linked to stress and negative affect. Convergence of these findings was observed across neuroscience techniques, and for both laboratory and real-life settings. Additionally, evidence also showed associations between neural social stress processing with urban upbringing or current city living-suggesting a mechanistic link to certain mood and anxiety disorders. Finally, environmental diversity was found to be critical for positive affect and individual well-being.

Conclusion

Contemporary human-environment interactions and planetary challenges imply greater understanding of the neurological underpinnings on how the urban space affects cognition and emotion. This review provides scientific evidence that could be applied for policy making on improved urban mental health. Several studies showed that high-quality green or blue spaces, and bio-diverse urban areas, are important allies for positive neural, cognitive, and emotional processes. Nonetheless, the spatial perception in social contexts (e.g., city overcrowding) deserves further attention by urban planners and scientists. The implications of these observations for some theories in environmental psychology and research are discussed. Future work should take advantage of technological advancements to better characterize behavior, brain physiology, and environmental factors and apply them to the remaining complexity of contemporary cities.

Expanding the role of the future zoo: Wellbeing should become the fifth aim for modern zoos

Zoos and aquariums have an enormous global reach and hence an ability to craft meaningful conservation action for threatened species, implement educational strategies to encourage human engagement, development and behavior change, and conduct scientific research to enhance the husbandry, roles and impacts of the living collection. The recreational role of the zoo is also vast- people enjoy visiting the zoo and this is often a shared experience amongst family and friends. Evaluating how the zoo influences this "captive audience" and extending its reach to include a compassionate approach to animals and people can further enhance the mission, value, and relevance of their work. The modern zoo's current aims-Conservation, Education, Research and Recreation-provide useful foundations for the activities that zoos conduct at a local and national level. However, to improve sustainability of their actions and outcomes, we feel that Wellbeing should become the fifth aim of the modern zoo for the future- both from an animal perspective (ensuring that populations are managed according to prevailing behavioral needs) and from a human perspective (enhancing access to nature, promoting planetary friendly behavior changes and ways of living, and advancing the wellbeing of the zoo's workforce). This paper provides discussion and review of how Wellbeing is already a substantial part of what zoos work on as well as posing the idea of altering the Recreation aim of the zoo to one of Engagement, which potentially is more measurable and therefore can allow zoo researchers and managers further options for the collection of evidence on the local and global reach of their zoo's aims. Education, Engagement, Conservation, Research and Wellbeing provide a more complete picture of the roles of the modern zoo for the animals (both in situ and ex situ), human visitors and workforce, and to society more widely.

Psychophysiological restorative potential in cancer patients by virtual reality (VR)-based perception of natural environment

The positive significance of nature to human’ self-reported well-being has been widely confirmed, but less attention has been paid to the study of cancer patients, as well as the role of time on the restorative effects. Therefore, using virtual reality (VR) and the inclusion of patients with esophageal and gastrointestinal cancer as participants, this study conducted indoor experiments to explore patients’ psychophysiological recovery through the perception of five different environmental types with three to five interventions per week. There were 63 participants selected from the People’s Hospital in Shaanxi Province. Depending on their psychophysiological state, they would participate in three to five interventions in a week to compare the number of interventions needed to achieve maximum restoration. The five environmental types utilized varied in land cover, vegetation structure, and landscape characteristics, and were identified as blue space (BS), open green space (OGS), semi-open green space (SOS), closed green space (CGS), and gray space (GrS). Before and after viewing landscapes, the changes of psychophysiological indicators were measured to explore the influence of different environmental types on participants. The results showed that the participants preferred and received the highest perceived restorative potentials in BS and lastly, GrS. The green and blue spaces measurably increased positive emotions and perceived restoration while a decreasing negative emotions and the heart rate (HR) compared with the GrS. Participants had the highest level of relaxation while their eyes were closed in the EEG baseline stage. Moreover, participants received the most relaxation when they contacted with nature three times a week, which indicated that excessive natural participation may not be conducive to the sustained development of cancer patients’ psychophysiological health. Instead of field appreciation, VR could be utilized to increase the access of cancer patients to nature and then be used as an approach to landscape interaction.

PSR-BP Neural Network-Based Health Assessment of the Huangshui Plateau Urban Wetlands in China

Wetland health assessment provides important basis for wetland restoration and management. However, it is quite tricky to select proper indicators from multiple assessment indicators that can truly reflect the health state of urban wetlands. In an attempt to address these problems, a pressure-state-response (PSR) and back propagation artificial neural network (BP) conjoined model was established for health assessment of several plateau urban wetlands in Xining City, China. The model was driven and verified through field monitoring and social questionnaire data for 4 consecutive years from 2016 to 2019. Results indicate that: (1) Eight health evaluation indexes, including population density, eutrophication level, increasing humidity, carbon dioxide absorption, air purifying, recreation, wetland management level and investment in ecological construction and protection were selected from 45 input indexes. (2) The health index of Huangshui National Wetland Park has been increasing year by year, with an average of comprehensive health score of 0.746, 0.790, 0.884, and 0.877, respectively. The indicators that contributed the most to the restoration effect were leisure and entertainment service value (2016), carbon dioxide absorption service value (2017), eutrophication (2018), and wetland management level (2019), respecially. (3) Compared with the single PSR method, the advantages of this method include; There are fewer evaluation indicators, more accurate results (excluding the interference of some highly variable indicators) and more sensitive to environmental changes. The current study proposed a novel method that may provide additional accurate and refined indicators for urban wetland health assessment.

A Meta-Analysis of Emotional Evidence for the Biophilia Hypothesis and Implications for Biophilic Design

The biophilia hypothesis posits an innate biological and genetic connection between human and nature, including an emotional dimension to this connection. Biophilic design builds on this hypothesis in an attempt to design human-nature connections into the built environment. This article builds on this theoretical framework through a meta-analysis of experimental studies on the emotional impacts of human exposure to natural and urban environments. A total of 49 studies were identified, with a combined sample size of 3,201 participants. The primary findings indicated that exposure to natural environments had a medium to large effect on both increasing positive affect and decreasing negative affect. This finding supported the anticipated emotional dimension of the biophilia hypothesis and lends credibility to biophilic design theory. Evidence was revealed in support of the affective/arousal response model. Immersion in environments indicated a larger effect size than laboratory simulation of environments. Methodological recommendations for future experimental research were few, however the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) outcome measure was recommended as a measure of both positive and negative affect for further studies. A combination measurement of stress related outcome variables was proposed to further explore the affective/arousal response model and its potential relationship to the biophilia hypothesis. The meta-analysis provides evidence for fundamental theories regarding human-nature connection, while revealing gaps in current knowledge.

Assessing the Effects of Nature on Physiological States Using Wearable Technologies

Nature therapy and forest bathing (FB) have been shown to have quantifiable positive effects on human health, but the physiological effects of a guided interactive nature activity remain unexplored. Autonomic nervous system responses to a guided nature walk (Nature Break) were assessed through the continuous measurement of the electrodermal activity (EDA), fingertip temperature, and heart rate (HR) of n = 48 participants, using a wearable sensor. Psychological distress was assessed before and after the activity using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) for n = 38 (24 females, 14 males, mean age = 43.55 ± 11.61 years) participants. The negative dimensions of POMS decreased and the positive (vigor) dimensions increased following a Nature Break. Significant differences were found across all of the physiological features, with some differences occurring between the morning and afternoon groups and between different days. The participants' mean HR decreased throughout the Nature Break. Our results suggest that interactive nature activities have positive psychological benefits and demonstrate the feasibility of using wearable sensors to monitor physiological responses in a naturalistic forest bathing activity.

Impact of Exposure to Natural and Built Environments on Positive and Negative Affect: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

There is increasing evidence that the natural environment provides substantial benefits to human emotional well-being. The current study synthesized this body of research using the meta-analysis and assessed the positive and negative effects of exposure to both the natural and built environments. We searched four databases and 20 studies were included in the review. The meta-analysis results showed the most convincing evidence that exposure to the natural environment could increase positive affect (standardized mean difference, SMD = 0.61, 95% CI 0.41, 0.81) and decreased negative affect (SMD = -0.47, 95% CI -0.71, -0.24). However, there was extreme heterogeneity between the studies, and the risk of bias was high. According to the subgroup analysis, study region, study design, mean age of the sample, sample size, and type of natural and built environment were found to be important factors during exposure to the natural environment. The implications of these findings for the existing theory and research are discussed. These findings will help convince the health professionals and policymakers to encourage the residents to increase their time spent in the natural environment. These findings of this systematic review also suggested that the creation, maintenance, and enhancement of accessible greenspaces or existing natural environments may form part of a multidimensional approach to increasing emotional well-being of the local populations.

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.

Open-plan office noise is stressful: multimodal stress detection in a simulated work environment

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019)-induced changes in the workplace present a timely opportunity for human resource management practitioners to consider and remediate the deleterious effects of noise, a commonly cited complaint of employees working in open-plan office (OPO) environments. While self-reports suggest that OPO noise is perceived as a stressor, there is little experimental research comprehensively investigating the effects of noise on employees in terms of their cognitive performance, physiological indicators of stress, and affect. Employing a simulated office setting, we compared the effects of a typical OPO auditory environment to a quieter private office auditory environment on a range of objective and subjective measures of well-being and performance. While OPO noise did not reduce immediate cognitive task performance compared to the quieter environment, it did reduce psychological well-being as evidenced by self-reports of mood, facial expressions of emotion, and physiological indicators of stress in the form of heartrate and skin conductivity. Our research highlights the importance of using a multimodal approach to assess the impact of workplace stressors such as noise. Such an approach will allow HR practitioners to make data-driven recommendations about the design and modification of workspaces to minimize negative effects and support employee well-being.

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.

Mechanisms of Impact of Blue Spaces on Human Health: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

Blue spaces have been found to have significant salutogenic effects. However, little is known about the mechanisms and pathways that link blue spaces and health. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to summarise the evidence and quantify the effect of blue spaces on four hypothesised mediating pathways: physical activity, restoration, social interaction and environmental factors. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a literature search was conducted using six databases (PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EBSCOHOST/CINAHL). Fifty studies were included in our systematic review. The overall quality of the included articles, evaluated with the Qualsyst tool, was judged to be very good, as no mediating pathway had an average article quality lower than 70%. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted for physical activity, restoration and social interaction. Living closer to blue space was associated with statistically significantly higher physical activity levels (Cohen’s d = 0.122, 95% CI: 0.065, 0.179). Shorter distance to blue space was not associated with restoration (Cohen’s d = 0.123, 95% CI: −0.037, 0.284) or social interaction (Cohen’s d = −0.214, 95% CI: −0.55, 0.122). Larger amounts of blue space within a geographical area were significantly associated with higher physical activity levels (Cohen’s d = 0.144, 95% CI: 0.024, 0.264) and higher levels of restoration (Cohen’s d = 0.339, 95% CI: 0.072, 0.606). Being in more contact with blue space was significantly associated with higher levels of restoration (Cohen’s d = 0.191, 95% CI: 0.084, 0.298). There is also evidence that blue spaces improve environmental factors, but more studies are necessary for meta-analyses to be conducted. Evidence is conflicting on the mediating effects of social interaction and further research is required on this hypothesised pathway. Blue spaces may offer part of a solution to public health concerns faced by growing global urban populations.

Wetlands for Wellbeing: Piloting a Nature-Based Health Intervention for the Management of Anxiety and Depression

Nature-based health interventions (NBIs) for the treatment of poor mental health are becoming increasingly common, yet evidence to support their effectiveness is lacking. We conduct a pilot study of a six-week intervention, aiming to engage individuals with wetland nature for the treatment of anxiety and/or depression. We employed a mixed methods design, using questionnaires, focus groups and semi-structured interviews to evaluate the intervention from the perspective of participants (n = 16) and healthcare professionals (n = 2). Results demonstrate significant improvements in mental health across a range of indicators, including mental wellbeing (Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale), anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7), stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and emotional wellbeing (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule). Participants and healthcare professionals cited additional outcomes including improved physical health and reduced social isolation. The wetland site provided a sense of escape from participants’ everyday environments, facilitating relaxation and reductions in stress. Wetland staff knowledge of the natural world, transportation and group organisation also played a considerable role in the intervention’s success. These aspects should be considered in future and existing NBIs to maximise benefits to participants. We propose NBIs based in wetlands are an effective therapy option for individuals diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression.