Contact to Nature Benefits Health: Mixed Effectiveness of Different Mechanisms

Overview

Journal Int J Environ Res Public Health

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Environmental Health
Public Health

Date 2018 Jan 4

PMID 29295586

Citations 10

Authors

Mathias Hofmann

Christopher Young

Tina M Binz

Markus R Baumgartner

Nicole Bauer

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

How can urban nature contribute to the reduction of chronic stress? We twice measured the concentration of the "stress hormone" cortisol in the hair of 85 volunteer gardeners (six months apart), relating cortisol level change to (self-reported) characteristics of their recreational activities. Both time spent in nature and physical activity led to decreases in cortisol, while time spent being idle led to an increase. At high levels of present stressors, however, the relationship for time spent in nature and for idleness was reversed. Time spent with social interaction had no effect on cortisol levels. Our results indicate that physical activity is an effective means of mitigating the negative effects of chronic stress. The results regarding the time spent in nature and time spent being idle are less conclusive, suggesting the need for more research. We conclude that if chronic stress cannot be abolished by eradicating its sources, public health may take to measures to reduce it-providing urban nature being one effective possibility.

Citing Articles

Effect of nature on the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents: meta-review.

Lomax T, Butler J, Cipriani A, Singh I Br J Psychiatry. 2024; 225(3):401-409.

PMID: 39101636 PMC: 11536187. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2024.109.

Interactions with Nature, Good for the Mind and Body: A Narrative Review.

Stott D, Forde D, Sharma C, Deutsch J, Bruneau Jr M, Nasser J Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024; 21(3).

PMID: 38541328 PMC: 10970260. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21030329.

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

Freymueller J, Schmid H, Senkler B, Lopez Lumbi S, Zerbe S, Hornberg C Front Public Health. 2024; 12:1360134.

PMID: 38510363 PMC: 10951718. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1360134.

Urban Agriculture in Thailand: Adoption Factors and Communication Guidelines to Promote Long-Term Practice.

Sereenonchai S, Arunrat N Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023; 20(1).

PMID: 36612323 PMC: 9819773. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010001.

Determinants of Chronic Biological Stress, Measured as Hair Cortisol Concentration, in a General Population of Adolescents: From Individual and Household Characteristics to Neighborhood Urbanicity.

Verheyen V, Remy S, Govarts E, Colles A, Koppen G, Rodriguez Martin L Front Public Health. 2021; 9:669022.

PMID: 34888272 PMC: 8650704. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.669022.

References

Cohen S, Wills T . Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychol Bull. 1985; 98(2):310-57. View

Solomon P, Draine J . Subjective burden among family members of mentally ill adults: relation to stress, coping, and adaptation. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1995; 65(3):419-27. DOI: 10.1037/h0079695. View

Russell E, Koren G, Rieder M, Van Uum S . Hair cortisol as a biological marker of chronic stress: current status, future directions and unanswered questions. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2011; 37(5):589-601. DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.09.009. View

Miller G, Chen E, Zhou E . If it goes up, must it come down? Chronic stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in humans. Psychol Bull. 2007; 133(1):25-45. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.25. View

Sharpley C, McFarlane J, Slominski A . Stress-linked cortisol concentrations in hair: what we know and what we need to know. Rev Neurosci. 2011; 23(1):111-21. PMC: 3381079. DOI: 10.1515/RNS.2011.058. View

de Vries S, van Dillen S, Groenewegen P, Spreeuwenberg P . Streetscape greenery and health: stress, social cohesion and physical activity as mediators. Soc Sci Med. 2013; 94:26-33. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.06.030. View

DeLongis A, Holtzman S . Coping in context: the role of stress, social support, and personality in coping. J Pers. 2005; 73(6):1633-56. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00361.x. View

Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Miller G . Psychological stress and disease. JAMA. 2007; 298(14):1685-7. DOI: 10.1001/jama.298.14.1685. View

Berg A, Palomaki H, Lonnqvist J, Lehtihalmes M, Kaste M . Depression among caregivers of stroke survivors. Stroke. 2005; 36(3):639-43. DOI: 10.1161/01.STR.0000155690.04697.c0. View

10.

Dadvand P, Bartoll X, Basagana X, Dalmau-Bueno A, Martinez D, Ambros A . Green spaces and General Health: Roles of mental health status, social support, and physical activity. Environ Int. 2016; 91:161-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.02.029. View

11.

Ulrich R . View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science. 1984; 224(4647):420-1. DOI: 10.1126/science.6143402. View

12.

Berry M, Sweeney M, Morath J, Odum A, Jordan K . The nature of impulsivity: visual exposure to natural environments decreases impulsive decision-making in a delay discounting task. PLoS One. 2014; 9(5):e97915. PMC: 4026519. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097915. View

13.

Izawa S, Miki K, Tsuchiya M, Mitani T, Midorikawa T, Fuchu T . Cortisol level measurements in fingernails as a retrospective index of hormone production. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2015; 54:24-30. DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.01.015. View

14.

Abell J, Stalder T, Ferrie J, Shipley M, Kirschbaum C, Kivimaki M . Assessing cortisol from hair samples in a large observational cohort: The Whitehall II study. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2016; 73:148-156. PMC: 5052124. DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.07.214. View

15.

Stalder T, Kirschbaum C . Analysis of cortisol in hair--state of the art and future directions. Brain Behav Immun. 2012; 26(7):1019-29. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2012.02.002. View

16.

Martens L, Addington J . The psychological well-being of family members of individuals with schizophrenia. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2001; 36(3):128-33. DOI: 10.1007/s001270050301. View

17.

Maas J, Verheij R, Groenewegen P, de Vries S, Spreeuwenberg P . Green space, urbanity, and health: how strong is the relation?. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2006; 60(7):587-92. PMC: 2566234. DOI: 10.1136/jech.2005.043125. View

18.

Smith M, Wilder C, Griffith W, Workman T, Thompson B, Dills R . Seasonal variation in cortisol biomarkers in Hispanic mothers living in an agricultural region. Biomarkers. 2015; 20(5):299-305. PMC: 4850059. DOI: 10.3109/1354750X.2015.1068863. View

19.

Cohen S . Social relationships and health. Am Psychol. 2004; 59(8):676-684. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.59.8.676. View

20.

Selye H . Stress and disease. Laryngoscope. 1955; 65(7):500-14. DOI: 10.1288/00005537-195507000-00002. View