Effects of Forest Therapy on Health Promotion Among Middle-Aged Women: Focusing on Physiological Indicators

Overview

Journal Int J Environ Res Public Health

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Environmental Health
Public Health

Date 2020 Jun 21

PMID 32560522

Citations 10

Authors

Bum-Jin Park

Chang-Seob Shin

Won-Sop Shin

Chung-Yeub Chung

Si-Hyung Lee

Dong-Jun Kim

Youn-Hee Kim

Chang-Eun Park

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Women experience more stress in middle age than in other life stages, and health in middle age is vital, because it influences the quality of life in old age. In this study, the effects of a forest therapy program on physiological changes in 53 middle-aged women (divided into two groups) who lived in the city were examined. One group participated in a three-day program in the forest, followed by three days in the city; the other group participated in a three-day program in the city, followed by three days in the forest. Forest experiments were conducted in a "healing forest," and urban experiments were conducted near a university campus. Blood tests were performed to evaluate the physiological effects of forest therapy. Differences in serotonin levels and vitamin D levels were verified before and after the forest (experimental group) and urban (control group) programs through paired -tests. Statistically significant increases in serotonin levels were noted for participants in the forest program; vitamin D levels also increased, but not by statistically significant values. The findings of this study verify that forest therapy programs promote health among middle-aged women, and may prevent disease and improve quality of life.

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