Tourism as a Tool in Nature-Based Mental Health: Progress and Prospects Post-Pandemic

Tourism experiences reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in the Chinese older adult: a prospective cohort study

Background

Given the etiological complexity of cognitive impairment, no effective cure currently exists for precise treatment of dementia. Although scholars have noted tourism's potential role in managing cognitive impairment and mild dementia, more robust empirical investigation is needed in this area. This study aimed to examine the associations between tourism and cognitive impairment and dementia in older Chinese adults.

Method

From a nationwide community-based cohort, 6,717 individuals aged ≥60 were recruited from 2011 to 2014, of whom 669 (9.96%) had had at least one tourism experience in the 2 years prior to enrollment. All the participants were then prospectively followed up until 2018. The association between tourism and cognitive impairment was examined by the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to evaluate the effect of tourism experience on cognitive impairment and dementia.

Results

A total of 1,416 individuals were newly diagnosed with cognitive impairment and 139 individuals with dementia onset during follow-up. The incidence of cognitive impairment was significantly lower among participants with tourism experiences (316.94 per 10,000 person-years) than those without such experiences (552.38 per 10,000 person-years). Cox regression showed that tourism decreased the risk of cognitive impairment (aHR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.41-0.62) when adjusted for behavioral covariates and characteristics. Compared with participants without tourism experiences, those with 1, 2, and ≥3 tourism experiences had a lower risk of cognitive impairment with the aHRs of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.52-0.99), 0.65 (0.42-1.01), and 0.68 (0.44-0.98), respectively. Tourism experiences also reduced participants' risk of dementia (aHR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.19-0.89).

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrated associations between tourism and reduced risks of cognitive impairment and dementia in older Chinese adults. Thus, tourism could serve as a novel approach to dementia prevention.

The relationship between perceived restorativeness and place attachment for hikers at Jeju Gotjawal Provincial Park in South Korea: the moderating effect of environmental sensitivity

Objectives

Jeju Gotjawal Provincial Park provides visitors with opportunities for outdoor recreation and informs visitors of the environmental significance of the park's ecosystem. This study attempted to examine how the perceived restorativeness of park visitors influenced their place attachment. In addition, the moderating effect of environmental sensitivity on the hypothesized relationship was explored.

Methods

Using the purposive sampling method, 408 surveys were collected at Jeju Gotjawal Provincial Park. The hypotheses were tested by confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, and invariance tests using Lisrel 8.70.

Results

The results indicated that perceived restorativeness had a positive influence on place attachment (place identity and place dependence). Further, the hypothesized relationship was stronger for the visitors with higher environmental sensitivity, compared to those with weaker environmental sensitivity.

Conclusion

Park managers should consider ways to increase the perceived restorativeness of visitors as they experience the natural environment at the park. Also, since environmental sensitivity played an important role in shaping the perceived restorativeness-place attachment relationship, there is a need for educational programs that can inform visitors of the significance of the natural environment to increase their affection for nature.