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Astell-Burt T, Kondo M, Pritchard T, Olcon K, Hipp JA, Adlakha D, Pappas E, Feng X. Contact with nature, nature prescriptions, and loneliness: Evidence from an international survey of adults in Australia, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Health Place 2024; 90:103331. [PMID: 39378733 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2024.103331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 10/10/2024]
Abstract
Evidence to support nature contact and nature prescriptions to reduce loneliness is scant. A total of 2100 individuals took part in a survey conducted in Australia (n = 525, mean age = 34.1), India (n = 526, mean age = 29.5), Singapore (n = 523, mean age = 36.1), the UK (n = 526, mean age = 37.3), and the US (n = 525, mean age = 43.6) in 2022 (overall age range 18-89yrs). Multilevel logistic regressions adjusted for confounding indicated mean levels of overall loneliness tended to be higher in India (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.21, 95% Confidence Interval [95%CI] 0.90-1.62), Singapore (OR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.15-2.07), the UK (OR = 1.26, 95%CI = 0.96-1.67) and the US (OR = 1.24, 95%CI = 0.94-1.64) compared with Australia. Notable differences were observed by loneliness type, for example, with lower odds of social loneliness (OR = 0.57, 95%CI = 0.41-0.79) and higher odds of emotional loneliness (OR = 1.57, 95%CI = 1.14-2.06) in India compared with Australia. Findings with regards to loneliness and nature contact varied between country. In general, social loneliness was lower in participants who visited natural surroundings regularly (OR = 0.81, 95%CI = 0.61-0.98) and spent two hours or more per week in nature (OR = 0.65, 95%CI = 0.49-0.81). Overall loneliness (OR = 1.98, 95%CI = 1.48-2.47) and emotional loneliness (OR = 2.84, 95%CI = 2.13-3.51) were substantially higher among those who felt having no-one to go with was a barrier to spending time in nature. Emotional loneliness was higher in those who had more time in nature (OR = 1.32, 95%CI = 0.94-1.75) or more frequent visits (OR = 1.24, 95%CI = 0.94-1.49), which may be indicative of selective processes by which some people who feel emotionally lonely seek meaningful sources of connection or solace in natural environments. In sum, these findings highlight potentially important contingencies in how people feel lonely in different countries, and the potential of contact with nature as a means to address this critical issue of modern times. Randomised trials of nature prescription interventions for loneliness co-designed with respect to contrasting cultural, economic, and climatic contexts are needed to ensure programs intended to reconnect people with nature are effective, equitable, and acceptable for everyone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Astell-Burt
- School of Architecture, Design, and Planning, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab), Sydney, Australia
| | - Michelle Kondo
- US Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Tanya Pritchard
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia
| | - Katarzyna Olcon
- School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - J Aaron Hipp
- Center for Geospatial Analytics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, United States
| | - Deepti Adlakha
- Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Evangelos Pappas
- School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia; Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Xiaoqi Feng
- Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab), Sydney, Australia; School of Population Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia.
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Bower M, Kent J, Patulny R, Green O, McGrath L, Teesson L, Jamalishahni T, Sandison H, Rugel E. The impact of the built environment on loneliness: A systematic review and narrative synthesis. Health Place 2023; 79:102962. [PMID: 36623467 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Loneliness is a pressing public health issue. Although quintessentially individual, it is shaped by wider environmental, cultural, socio-economic, and political circumstances. Using a systematic review methodology, this paper draws on interdisciplinary research to conceptualise the relationship between the built environment and loneliness. We present a narrative synthesis of 57 relevant studies to characterise the body of evidence and highlight specific built-environment elements. Our findings demonstrate the need for further conceptual and empirical explorations of the multifaceted ways in which built environments can prevent loneliness, supporting calls for investment into this public-health approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlee Bower
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Jennifer Kent
- The University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design, and Planning, The University of Sydney, Australia.
| | - Roger Patulny
- Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Australia
| | - Olivia Green
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Laura McGrath
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, England; UK
| | - Lily Teesson
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Hannah Sandison
- The University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design, and Planning, The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Emily Rugel
- Westmead Applied Research Centre, The University of Sydney, Australia
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Astell-Burt T, Hartig T, Putra IGNE, Walsan R, Dendup T, Feng X. Green space and loneliness: A systematic review with theoretical and methodological guidance for future research. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 847:157521. [PMID: 35878853 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Persistent loneliness troubles people across the life span, with prevalence as high as 61 % in some groups. Urban greening may help to reduce the population health impacts of loneliness and its concomitants, such as hopelessness and despair. However, the literature lacks both a critical appraisal of extant evidence and a conceptual model to explain how green space would work as a structural intervention. Both are needed to guide decision making and further research. We conducted a systematic review of quantitative studies testing associations between green space and loneliness, searching seven databases. Twenty two studies were identified by 25/01/2022. Most of the studies were conducted in high-income countries and fifteen (68 %) had cross-sectional designs. Green space was measured inconsistently using either objective or subjective indicators. Few studies examined specific green space types or qualities. The majority of studies measured general loneliness (e.g. using the UCLA loneliness scale). Different types of loneliness (social, emotional, existential) were not analysed. Of 132 associations, 88 (66.6 %) indicated potential protection from green space against loneliness, with 44 (33.3 %) reaching statistical significance (p < 0.05). We integrated these findings with evidence from qualitative studies to elaborate and extend the existing pathway domain model linking green space and health. These elaborations and extensions acknowledge the following: (a) different types of green space have implications for different types of loneliness; (b) multilevel circumstances influence the likelihood a person will benefit or suffer harm from green space; (c) personal, relational, and collective processes operate within different domains of pathways linking green space with loneliness and its concomitants; (d) loneliness and its concomitants are explicitly positioned as mediators within the broader causal system that links green space with health and wellbeing. This review and model provide guidance for decision making and further epidemiological research on green space and loneliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Astell-Burt
- Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab), NSW, Australia; School of Health and Society, Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
| | - Terry Hartig
- Institute for Housing and Urban Research, Uppsala University, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - I Gusti Ngurah Edi Putra
- Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab), NSW, Australia; Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ramya Walsan
- Centre of Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tashi Dendup
- Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab), NSW, Australia; Save the Children, Bhutan Office, Thimphu, Bhutan
| | - Xiaoqi Feng
- Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab), NSW, Australia; School of Health and Society, Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia; School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Mavros P, J Wälti M, Nazemi M, Ong CH, Hölscher C. A mobile EEG study on the psychophysiological effects of walking and crowding in indoor and outdoor urban environments. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18476. [PMID: 36323718 PMCID: PMC9628500 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20649-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental psychologists have established multiple psychological benefits of interaction with natural, compared to urban, environments on emotion, cognition, and attention. Yet, given the increasing urbanisation worldwide, it is equally important to understand how differences within different urban environments influence human psychological experience. We developed a laboratory experiment to examine the psychophysiological effects of the physical (outdoor or indoor) and social (crowded versus uncrowded) environment in healthy young adults, and to validate the use of mobile electroencephalography (EEG) and electrodermal activity (EDA) measurements during active walking. Participants (N = 42) were randomly assigned into a walking or a standing group, and watched six 1-min walk-through videos of green, urban indoor and urban outdoor environments, depicting high or low levels of social density. Self-reported emotional states show that green spaces is perceived as more calm and positive, and reduce attentional demands. Further, the outdoor urban space is perceived more positively than the indoor environment. These findings are consistent with earlier studies on the psychological benefits of nature and confirm the effectiveness of our paradigm and stimuli. In addition, we hypothesised that even short-term exposure to crowded scenes would have negative psychological effects. We found that crowded scenes evoked higher self-reported arousal, more negative self-reported valence, and recruited more cognitive and attentional resources. However, in walking participants, they evoked higher frontal alpha asymmetry, suggesting more positive affective responses. Furthermore, we found that using recent signal-processing methods, the EEG data produced a comparable signal-to-noise ratio between walking and standing, and that despite differences between walking and standing, skin-conductance also captured effectively psychophysiological responses to stimuli. These results suggest that emotional responses to visually presented stimuli can be measured effectively using mobile EEG and EDA in ambulatory settings, and that there is complex interaction between active walking, the social density of urban spaces, and direct and indirect affective responses to such environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Mavros
- Singapore-ETH Centre, Future Cities Laboratory, CREATE campus, 1 CREATE Way, #06-01 CREATE Tower, Singapore, 138602, Singapore.
| | - Michel J Wälti
- Singapore-ETH Centre, Future Cities Laboratory, CREATE campus, 1 CREATE Way, #06-01 CREATE Tower, Singapore, 138602, Singapore
| | - Mohsen Nazemi
- Singapore-ETH Centre, Future Cities Laboratory, CREATE campus, 1 CREATE Way, #06-01 CREATE Tower, Singapore, 138602, Singapore
| | - Crystal Huiyi Ong
- Singapore-ETH Centre, Future Cities Laboratory, CREATE campus, 1 CREATE Way, #06-01 CREATE Tower, Singapore, 138602, Singapore
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Christoph Hölscher
- Singapore-ETH Centre, Future Cities Laboratory, CREATE campus, 1 CREATE Way, #06-01 CREATE Tower, Singapore, 138602, Singapore
- Chair of Cognitive Science, Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, Switzerland
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Li H, Du X, Ma H, Wang Z, Li Y, Wu J. The Effect of Virtual-Reality-Based Restorative Environments on Creativity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:12083. [PMID: 36231385 PMCID: PMC9565044 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This study, based on the theory of restorative environmental, uses virtual reality (VR) technology to construct interactive restorative environments and discusses the influence of the experience of virtual restorative environment on individual creativity. A total of 72 college students were selected as participants in the study. Through psychological scales, three creativity tests, and EEG feedback data, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) The VR restorative environment experience improves individual creativity, especially the creative quality of cohesion; (2) the experience of the VR restorative environment enables participants to experience a desirable sense of presence. Compared with the restorative scene experience without interactive activities, the addition of interactive activities improves the individual sensory fidelity to a greater extent. (3) We cannot simply assume that the experience of the VR restorative environment with interactive activities will make individual creative performance better than non-interactive experience. Interaction with certain difficulty will increase cognitive load, thus disrupting individual creative performance. Garden scenes that can be explored freely and have no interaction can better promote individual creativity. (4) In the environmental experience, participants paid greater attention to natural elements, and the restorative environment they described was very similar to the environment they believed could foster creativity. This study's results provide evidence for the positive effects of the VR restorative environment experience on individuals and contributes to the cognitive exploration of the interaction between restorative environments and individuals in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongqidi Li
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xueyan Du
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Huirui Ma
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Zhimeng Wang
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- Department of Psychology, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jianping Wu
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
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Gaekwad JS, Sal Moslehian A, Roös PB, Walker A. A Meta-Analysis of Emotional Evidence for the Biophilia Hypothesis and Implications for Biophilic Design. Front Psychol 2022; 13:750245. [PMID: 35693493 PMCID: PMC9186521 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.750245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S. Gaekwad
- Live+Smart Research Laboratory, School of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Jason S. Gaekwad
| | - Anahita Sal Moslehian
- School of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Phillip B. Roös
- Live+Smart Research Laboratory, School of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Arlene Walker
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
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Spaces Eliciting Negative and Positive Emotions in Shrinking Neighbourhoods: a Study in Seoul, South Korea, Using EEG (Electroencephalography). J Urban Health 2022; 99:245-259. [PMID: 35312914 PMCID: PMC9033910 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-022-00608-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Although shrinking neighbourhoods are places where urban citizens experience negative emotions, some evidence suggests that people in some shrinking neighbourhoods feel less negative emotions than in other areas. Nevertheless, empirical studies that analyse environmental and personal elements that affect people's emotions in a shrinking neighbourhood remain insufficient. This is rather surprising, considering an increasing interest in the effects of negative emotions on individuals' health. Thus, this study used electroencephalography (EEG) to examine the impacts of environmental and personal characteristics on people's emotional levels in a shrinking area of Seoul, South Korea. A multilinear regression model was used to analyse emotional valence levels between sites with different urban designs and management levels. The results revealed that people felt positive emotions at sites where both urban design factors and their management were both satisfactory at appropriate levels. The results also found that people who had lived or worked in the neighbourhood for a long time and were women experienced more positive emotions than visitors and men. This finding implies that a shrinking neighbourhood can maintain a sense of satisfaction as long as the area is carefully managed. Revealing the emotional effects of environmental and personal characteristics in a shrinking neighbourhood can be used for planning practices and policy-making to create healthy and liveable urban neighbourhoods.
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